I don’t think I’ll ever stop talking about the way travel enriches life. Yes, we can all agree that discovering new places is fun. I mean, who doesn’t love a change of scenery from time to time? But traveling for my family is so much more than just recreation. It has the ability to shift and change our perspectives in more ways than most realize. One of the most impactful parts of traveling outside of the States is the expansion of the way we perceive differences. I’ve found myself unusually intuitive regarding this topic, and I’d love to explore it with you in today’s blog.
The Benefits of Traveling
I always wanted to raise kids who would spend summers with me in Europe. Now, seeing as how I am not from Europe, this might strike many as strange. However, I’ve been traveling since I was a kid, and the experiences that I’ve had are invaluable. In fact, so many of my closest friends live all over the globe, and I attribute that to my passion for travel that I’ve had my entire life. I wanted my kids to be able to experience that as well. So they’ve been on airplanes since they were newborns!
If you’re able, I’d advise you to travel any and everywhere that piques your interest. Of course by now you know my favorite place in the world is Ibiza, Spain. I’ve talked at length about how it inspires my design aesthetic. My kids and I travel there a few times a year, and we typically spend a couple months on the island in the summer. I love watching Ibiza become their second home.
Different is a Compliment
One of the things I’ve noticed in Ibiza and other countries is the way other cultures use and view the word: “different.” When we’re in another place people often look at my sons’ hair and they say, “Their hair is so different!” I watch as the kind strangers’ eyes widen and light up as they describe the hair texture. I’ve gotten that about my own hair as well. If I’m wearing a unique necklace or pair of earrings, they say: “That’s so different!” and they want to know more about it. So, as maybe back home that would be a cause for suspicion to many, here it was admiration and genuine curiosity.
People are commenting on something they have never seen before. It’s new and fascinating, and they want to learn about it. Those statements are accompanied by questions, and the intention behind them becomes clear. They are having a novel experience, and they want to embrace it. Sadly, that’s not always the case back at home.
An Intolerance for Differences
The reason all of that stuck out to me in the first place was because of the way differences are viewed and handled in the States. Here, different isn’t a compliment. It’s weird, discouraged and often said as an insult. Don’t believe me? Think about the girl who bullied others in highschool. The first thing people do in those situations is point out differences. Kids exclude others because someone looks different, acts differently, or exists in a different socioeconomic class…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But kids aren’t where it ends.
How many times have you heard someone else or even yourself say things like, “I can’t eat that. It’s too different!” Or maybe you’ve heard it said with a sassy attitude that implied far more than just something being diverse.
“Their family is just…different.”
We all know the tone there, and we know enough to realize it’s never said or meant as flattery. “Different” in these examples is divisive. It’s a way to put a boundary up or to express disinterest. That’s a far cry from the people in other places who want to know the origin story behind something they’re encountering for the first time.
Beauty in Diversity
When did we get so far from appreciating the beauty in differences? When my boys and I travel, whether domestically or internationally, we love to point out all the ways each place is similar and different from what we’re accustomed to back home. I want them to welcome the features of each place and develop an appreciation for them.
The beauty of uniqueness is what makes the world go ‘round. Think about our ecosystem and how vast it is. So many elements keep it healthy and thriving. If one part of the system ceases to exist, the entire system is in danger. It’s the differences in the plants and animals that keep the whole of it all healthy. We, as a society, should be functioning much like that.
Different in Design
I have always found an intolerance for differences to be so odd. Maybe it’s because my own origin story is so unique. Or maybe because when you’ve traveled all over you realize no place or people are exactly alike, and that’s the wonderful part of it. In interior design, being different is viewed as a good thing. There’s space for weird and strange in our community. I can put disco balls in my kitchen without people batting an eye. In certain luxury markets (cars, fine leather goods, etc) “different” is even marketed as a selling point. These are the only places I’ve experienced it as a good thing. I think it’s time to change that.
Making Different Cool Again
I have a challenge for you. This week I want you to tell someone something they have on, a hairstyle, a fragrance or anything else is “different.” I want you to genuinely mean it as a compliment. Be curious! Ask them about it and be interested in the answer. Wholeheartedly mean it. Let’s see if we can shift the connotation and become a nation of people who appreciate variety, diversity and differences. Chat with me about it on my socials!
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