Favorite Place(s)?

I lived in aggressively strict isolation as a child. This physical and mental cage of sorts made me very timid but very inquisitive as I was unhealthily underexposed to the outside world of different ideas, experiences, and cultures. As a result, I became very influenced by others’ stories. I was tremendously engrossed in meeting people who engaged in very different lives than mine, and who possessed qualities and customs contradictory to my own. Seclusion turned me to memoirs and biographies rather than fantasies and fiction, and lead me to sign up for online pen-pal programs that would connect me globally with individuals I would speak to every day for years to satisfy my urge to know what was beyond the walls of my house. My life of seclusion as a child and young adult and the curiosity it compelled me to have about places and people I couldn’t reach and gave me greater appreciation and admiration for the variable and vast world once I was able to engage in it freely. Once I was taken in by another family, I continuously met inspirational, non-judgmental, tolerant people who helped shape my understanding of the world around me in a much more unbiased, unrestrained way. I realized then that in other peoples’ lives there was an unbelievable dynamic I never could have known had I not crossed the threshold of the contrived spatial boundaries that came to be in-grown when I was young. Now that I am living on my own and far removed from the restraints of my childhood, I reflect on the concept of a place being my “favorite” and find this so difficult to define concretely. I still grapple with the consequences of such a sequestered early life, but the impediments are more physical than mental which leads me to conclude that a metaphorical take on “favorite place” is more appropriate for me: my mind. Not that the outside world I have encountered thus far hasn’t lived up to some standard in order to be selected; it’s simply that my mind in its immeasurable capacity has been my most reliable escape ever since I can remember. With the help of others’ whose lives I have routinely wondered about- through their written, verbal, and visual stories- my imagination has transported me to any environment I have ever daydreamed about. While I still have symptoms of wanderlust and wish to see and experience new places, I am quite happy knowing that there are possibilities for mini-vacations even in the midst of mundane activities given the right mindset. Even when I revert to my hermit ways, I still find satisfaction and gratitude that my mind hasn’t lost its inquisitive nature for whatever is left undiscovered by me yet (though my cabin fever isn’t nearly as incessant as it once was). I don’t resist stretches of solitary time despite everything and while I still live a somewhat self-contained life I am quite content having my “favorite places” on file waiting to be awakened by some trigger that stirs my memory. 

(Image Source: Pixabay Stock Photos)

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