Travel begins before we take off for our destination. It starts with the decision to “go.” While we think that preparation consists of making lists, making arrangements, anticipating what needs to be done in our absence, it actually begins with our mindset. It begins with our approach to the world.
“What to take with us and what to leave behind” are more than physical decisions; they are metaphoric. We take our anxieties and our anticipation. We take our sense of adventure and our excitement. We take our openness to new experiences and we take our trepidations and fears of disappointment. We take our ambitions and our resolutions. It is discovering, upon arrival, that we take ourselves wherever we go. And, we can decide to leave behind old habits and things that sometimes get in our way.
Travel comes with a certain set of its own challenges that sometimes makes us pine for home. Yet, at the same time, travel can open our minds to new ways of thinking and new ways of being. We can experiment with how we approach the unknown and our willingness to make ourselves vulnerable. We can discover new friendships and new ideas. We can gain a kind of strength and wonder in our own independence and ability to survive and thrive in unfamiliar surroundings. We can open our minds to different customs, different foods, and different attitudes. And, we can create a new context for how we live our lives when we return home.
Plans for CHID Lyon 2019 are almost complete. Tickets for performances at Maison de la Danse and the Lyon Opera Ballet have been purchased. Visits to and by artists and scientists are confirmed. Tours and site visits are scheduled. A full panoply of activities is on the calendar. In the midst of all this activity, it will be important to take time to reflect– to experience one’s experience and to codify that experience through writing, drawing, and thought–and through the kind of reflection that comes from just wandering around. From deciding to go out early one morning before everyone else just to see the light on the river to taking a moonlit walk with a new found friend, all of this is part of the journey.
Be open. Be curious,. Be aware.
CHID Lyon: Art and innovation 2019 