You take delight not in a city's seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours.
Italo Calvino
Find yourself on the map. And then lose yourself all over again.
The world is big, bold, and impossibly vast, right?
But is it truly as infinite as the twists and turns of your soul? (I know this sounds intense, but bear with me).
Once upon a not-so-distant past, I found myself gazing deep into my existence, pondering the paths I’d taken. My checklist of life goals? Practically all ticked off. I was living my dream life—one meticulously tailored to all my desires. And yet, there it was: a decision looming over me like an overly dramatic plot twist, leaving me restless and stuck. The decision carried consequences whether I jumped in or did nothing at all.
So, what did I do to calm my overactive brain? Journal my thoughts away? Take brooding walks to nowhere? Spill my heart to a friend over coffee? Yes, yes, and yes! But still, the elusive answer evaded me.
At the time, I was prepping for a business trip to Rome. Not my first trip to the Eternal City—I’d been to over 40 countries and lived in 11, so when it came to traveling, let’s just say I had quite the reputation. I knew how to plan, pack, and plunder new experiences like a pro. And Rome? It sat high on my Top 3 pedestal. But oddly enough, as I packed my bags this time, the usual buzz of excitement didn’t hit. Instead, everything felt kind of ... meh.
Then came the moment. I stepped into my hotel room, tired and unenthused, only to be greeted by literary quotes plastered across the walls. The quote by Italo Calvino that you have just read stopped me in my tracks. I stared at it like it had insulted my honor. Eventually, after some time—cue the dramatic epiphany moment and Hans Zimmer soundtrack—I realized something important.
I travel to capture moments, check experiences off my bucket list, and, most importantly, seek answers.
After all, weren’t the original travelers—the pilgrims—also on their journeys for personal enlightenment?
Meet inquisitive travel.
That evening, I wandered through Rome’s maze of cobbled streets, the smell of pizza in the air and the sweet rhythm of street musicians in the background. And suddenly, amid autumn rain and ancient ruins, clarity hit me like a Vespa.
As much as I love Rome, it wasn’t its sights that I needed, but its energy, or the thoughts the city stirred up within me.
That’s when I made the decision that had been troubling me for weeks … months, even.
So here’s to you, fellow seeker of adventures and answers. May your travels be filled with curious wonder, not just for places but for the revelations waiting in the most unexpected corners.
mucho mundo—Spanish for ‘a lot of world’ or ‘a lot to see’—is more than just an invitation to travel. In Spanish, tener mucho mundo implies being worldly or experienced, often referring to someone who has gained a broad perspective from traveling, encountering different cultures, and accumulating life experiences.
The expression also conveys a sense of sophistication, wisdom, and practical knowledge about how the world works - qualities that align with being both well-traveled and a connoisseur of oneself. That’s what I aspire to for myself and for anyone on a similar journey.
In sum, mucho mundo is about living, loving, and experiencing deeply, while also getting to know the one person you’ll spend your entire life with: yourself.
And if, like me, you’re chasing both destinations and answers, let’s make sure you pack the right mindset.
Happy reading & happy wandering!