For no reason other than it’s a Sunday and my wandering mind decided to head off on yet another morose trip, I decided to stop it in its tracks before it went too far over the edge.
And write about trips a wandering mind could consider taking for further inspiration instead.
In no particular order, here goes:
1.Cappadocia, Turkey:
If you’re feeling persecuted, and always feel like somebody’s watching you (it’s ok to sing that song), Cappadocia is a good bet.
Craggy mountainous caves, a scene straight out of Star Wars for sure, one of the most surreal places you will ever see.
Lots of nooks and crannies in maze-like caves to hide in and coincidentally, display your fine talent for art on the cave walls.
Build little churches within your cave in which to save your soul, then head out into the light and take that flight of fancy to the skies, up, up and away.
2. Mykonos, Greece:
White and blue is a particularly peaceful, calming combination, no?
Just closing my eyes and imagining it, brings my heart rate down a few notches. That blue of the Aegean, the white of the cubic homes, pelicans roaming around for treats, rainbow flags flapping in the wind, sunsets that last forever, what’s not to love?
3. Tokyo, Japan:
Well, if your mind is already whirring a thousand miles a minute, the obvious thing to do is to jump headfirst into the neon city lights of a city that never sleeps. Not Las Vegas, for crying out loud, that’s the dumps.
I’m talking Tokyo. Take that train to Shinjuku. Try to find where you’re going. Try to find where your mind is going.
Good luck.
4. Reykjavik, Iceland:
Go where grown men with Viking beards and fluffy Icelandic sweaters hoe down on a Friday night. Really. The Reyka peeps are such alcoholics, you’d feel like a bone-dry virgin bloody mary next to them.
Go where everyone knows your name. Entirely possible in a country of just 300,000 people. That shameless antic you did last Friday night? Front page news on The Reykjavik Times.
5. Amsterdam, The Netherlands:
Hash? How boring. Try museum hopping instead. In a city with over 70 museums, that’s not a challenge at all.
Go visit your best friend Van Gogh at his museum and commiserate with him. I did. It’s good. Makes you think it’s ok to be a little cray cray if you can produce works of art like that. He wasn’t just an artist, you know. He wrote too. Brilliant prose to his brother. Get some inspiration from him.
Don’t cut your ear off though. Too bloody.
6. Abisko, Sweden:
Too much excitement from Amsterdam? Head up north, way up north where moose and reindeer are your best friends. Stare into the nothingness of a vast ice and snow-filled landscape and hope you don’t fall deep into the cracking ice because no one is around to rescue you.
And if you feel a sudden wave of calm or joy come across you in this nothingness, don’t worry. You’re not insane. You’re just rid of all the bullshit that chains you to the ground and forces you to behave and…you’re exactly where you want to be. Free.
7. Tipple County, Anywhere
And if all else fails, pick your poison, find its hometown and zip on over. Mine’s Champagne. Yeah well, I’m a diva, didn’t you see that in the title?
Go where your poison is on tap, made with all the love and fresh goodness that its home has to offer, and drink. Drink, drink, drink.
Savour the fact that your poison didn’t have to travel miles to reach your thirsty soul and that you could have copious amounts on the cheap. Well, cheaper than Singapore, that’s for sure.
There you have it. The rambling suggestions of where one can run away to. Not limited to moody, depressive types, but probably most enjoyed by the likes of us.
Enjoy.