“your inside is the same. your outside got smoother like a stone that got shaped by water. all of your experiences shaped you like a stone in water.” – anna

anna (who also took this picture of me in paris), said this about me after seeing me for the first time since i became the vagabond that i am. i took it as a compliment. (you might already know, it is not easy to give me one…)

 after moving to new york in 2013… then shanghai… and then traveling through southeast asia, for 5 months, naturally my view on money, consumption, food, people…. the universe has changed. of course, everyone has opinions on the transformation i have made… not only on the outside (which is also a vital part of this blog).

i hear comments / questions on my jewelry, my new buzzcut (see how thaaaat came about here), my clothes (“buy yourself some new pants” is something i have heard multiple timesregarding my traveler-pants (the kind every traveler is proud of…. their deteriorating fabric is evidence of rocks i have climbed, busses i have slept in, and jungles i have trekked through…. and eeeequally serve me just as well in munich’s poshest clubs). i listen to everyone’s opinion (since there is no way of seeing yourself from the outside). i am also interested in other people’s perception of me…. even criticism (coming from a genuine place) is valid and i (try to) take it in. aside from me knooooowing, i feel relief when i hear family / friends say “you are still the same”.

don’t be afraid to experience things that will shape you. your core will stay the same and people who love you, love you for exactly that…. your inside.