The magic around the corner
I was greeted by an explosion of autumn colors at one of my jobs today. It was a building just around the corner from where I live. Even though I’ve passed it many times, I’d never had the chance to see the courtyard.
It made me think of a conversation I had with a friend yesterday. He asked how I plan my days when I’m traveling. I told him that I don’t.
No planning, no lists. Just my two feet and an open mind.
That’s how I like it. That’s also how I’ve discovered some of the coolest places and stumbled upon the most interesting people.
One example I mentioned was when I once saw an abandoned building while out walking in Chiang Mai. It didn’t look like much, but I decided to take a look down the alley. It turned out to be a graffiti goldmine, with beautiful pieces of art covering every wall.
I saw a guy taking photos, so I went up and talked to him. He turned out to be a photographer documenting street art from all over the world. He even gave me a quick, on-the-spot lesson about the artists behind the pieces we were looking at.
That’s just one small example of something I would’ve missed if I’d been busy ticking off things on a list. There are so many wonderful things waiting to be discovered — even just around the corner from where we are.
We just need to stay open, both in mind and in sight.
The world is full of magic, if we only care to look.