I was fortunate enough to visit Europe and to travel in the pre-internet days.
I reflect on that a lot because so many things changed with the internet and every time I travel now, I notice it. Some places have become safer, cleaner, and more accessible, while others feel like they've become more chaotic and unsuitable due to the massive influx of tourists as a result of the internet. The positive changes make me happy to see a city/place thriving, but then I feel so heartbroken when I revisit a place and it feels like it's overwhelmed by it all.
Travel was and is something that has greatly shaped my life and how I perceive the world. While I'm from a small town in New Mexico, my outlook is always elsewhere. My small town is the home base where I feel most comfortable doing my work and carrying out my everyday life, but my mind, heart and soul are almost always on some adventure far away from here.
My memories are sometimes blurry since my parents started taking me traveling at a very young age. I'll watch a documentary and think, "gosh, I feel like I've seen this before," and sure enough, we've been there.
What I did learn at a young age was seeing how my parents adapted to new cultures or to situations where there were language barriers. They were easy-going and both had aspects that they loved about travel. My mom loves crafts, window-shopping, and strolling through a city, while my dad loves walking, seeing old churches and ruins, and absorbing as much history about a place as possible. Both of them love museums.
I think that's the thing that I learned the most about travel before the pre-internet days was this idea of adapting. You had no choice but to go with the flow and see how something would turn out. Now with Google and reviews and being able to plan ahead, it's harder to stumble upon something. There's an aspect of adventure that has been lost forever because of it. Don't get me wrong, the internet is very convenient and allows you to have more time rather than wasting it trying to figure out what to do next, but the mystery and the unknown have faded.
Jewelry, even though has completely changed due to the internet, still has that sense of mystery for me. You really never know what you're going to make until the piece is finished. I still find myself in moments where I have to adapt when a design isn't going as planned and I think that's what I find most addicting to the process of creating. I can't turn to the internet so easily for an answer because many times the design has to speak to me and every time I find the solution to a problem, I get that rush I used to get when I'd travel with my parents.