Raw & Refreshed: Lost & Found

The fundamentals of our existence seemingly lie on the basis that life is meant to hold structure; that our futures are meant to be known and undeniably concrete. We are manufactured to create a plan, a plan with exact direction, with paved stoned pathways. We are trained to see the world through an enclosed window and to stay within the bounds that have been curated for us through our development in this society.

We are taught that to be lost is to have failed. But what is the real meaning behind this closeted term?

It is my attempt to confront the term with as much 'Cliché' pushed aside as possible: what does it mean to to be lost?

"Welcome To Paris"

Paris, France

To some, to be 'lost' is to look into the mirror and not know what to make of the reflection staring back. Or perhaps to others, it may be to walk into a new city and not know which avenue will lead to discoveries of wondrous destinations. For most, the final consensus of what it means to be 'lost' is that whatever it is, it can be scary beyond belief.

Often, I find myself closely associated with some aspect of the term. Realistically, I am physically lost almost daily; to be completely and undoubtedly directionally challenged beyond understanding ( of my own even) is no easy task.

It is the other manifestations of the term that occurs less frequent, yet haunts with an unmatched intensity. A certain extent of 'mental' or 'psychological' lost when my mind becomes clouded with misunderstanding of myself and the world around me.

It is on these days that I dwell upon the 'what ifs' which, for those who have been so fortunate to avoid such mental encounters, are dangerous thoughts to dwell.

How does one escape the 'what ifs?' I am still trying to figure that out myself. What I have learned is that for every time one is lost, there is an opportunity to discover, to build, and to recreate.

In the past couple of weeks of traveling I was presented with a gift; a realization that loosing ourselves does not have to be as suffocating as the notion has always been defined.

I was lost in the lights, and the people. Lost in the culture and the food. I had no agenda, and there was no pressure to be anything else but an explorer. An explorer of the world, and a human on a journey.

The Louvre Museum

Paris, France

Switzerland

Blouse: Ann Taylor | Pants: Zara | Shoes: The Loft

The streets of Paris

Crop Top: Zara | Skirt: Zara

The Luxembourg Gardens

Tank Top: Zara | Pants: Zara | Shoes: The Loft

Busy Streets and crowded sidewalks

The Tuileries Gardens

Paris, France

Wanderlust

Tank Top: Zara | Pants: Zara | Sunglasses: Ray Bans

Living in a society that constantly pressures us to have a plan can be overwhelming and exhausting. The mere thought of the 'unknown' when it comes to our lives in the years to come has become an untouchable; a nightmare to be avoided at all costs.

We sometimes forget the idea that perhaps being lost is normal?

We are simply too afraid of judgement to share this universal feeling, and so we hide behind walls that prevent us from the ability to relate on such a level. To understand that even the most clear cut paths have blistering tiles.

What needs to be remembered is that being unsure of a directory doesn't make you any less of an aspiring individual, or any less successful than the person who seems to have it all together, or any less inspiring.

It means you are creating your self, that you are brainstorming who you are and your purpose, and that you are human.

To be lost is to be missing the 999th puzzle piece needed to complete a 1,000 piece picture.

To capsize in rigid waters with only hundred feet left until shore.

To be lost is to work, to experiment, to hustle, to fall, to get back up, and to live....

Until you are found.

Thank you Paris and Switzerland for the unisex bathrooms that had me washing my hands while a man whistled as he pissed at the urinal behind me. For the non- air conditioned hotel rooms that had me waking up in my own sweat at 3 am. For the foreign languages that helped improve my charades skills.

But most importantly, for allowing me the opportunity to loose myself; in the beautiful sights, the different cultures, and the exotic people that call you home. My ability to get lost in those travels has brought me home with a new perspective; one that has become more bright, more inspired, more open minded, and more cultured.