Loving the Diversity

I’m in one of my favorite places in the world right now – New York City! I’m here to visit some friends and soak up the energy and the buzz of the bright lights and the big city.

One of the things I’ve cultivated in myself over the course of my life is the ability to enjoy all sorts of environments and move pretty seamlessly from one to the other. I’ve had experiences before where I’ve been in a mountain lodge in Vermont one day, and sitting on a kitchen floor making cookies in an Arab village the next. I’ve been driving through the Sinai desert marveling at the immense, majestic desert and before I knew it was walking down the street in New York City. I love the fact that I can feel so ‘at home’ with wherever I am.

This wasn’t always the case. By nature, I’m a creature of habit. I really like my routines and my ‘stuff.’ It didn’t come naturally to go galavanting and traveling around. In fact, I can remember a time in my early twenties where I thought, “Who would ever want to leave the US? There is so much to see and do here… and everyone speaks English!” Oh… how times have changed. (Thank goodness!)

Now I embrace new places, cultures, people and food with an unquenchable appetite for more. I love learning about new places and peoples.

Being in New York City is like a microcosm of the greater world. Walking down a street in New York City you can hear a dozen different languages, and see people of every color, religion, ethnicity… it is phenomenal!

Learning how to adapt to one’s surroundings and to enjoy being in radically different environments not only makes life more enjoyable (and less stressful) it can turn it into a grand adventure.

You don’t have to travel to incorporate this attitude into your daily life. Trying new foods, watching shows on TV about different places and people, reading good books that open your mind and broaden your perspectives… all of these activities cultivate an ‘open and curious’ attitude towards life.

Open your mind… allow new ideas and experiences to creep in around the edges. It will open you in ways you can’t even imagine!