minneapolis is new york is europe is ...
Location, though often referred to via geographic physical placement, can also be manifested via mindset. The aura of a city can be replicated simply by altering the way you look at your everyday surroundings. For example, New York City is vibrant, a bit gritty, and electrifying to me - and the quality I assign to it is influenced heavily by the scope of which I romanticize my experience. The same city can garner visceral reactions that vary from one person to the next. Some of the impact can be attributed to outside factors. Previous prejudice, the actions of others, and even weather can alter what could be a positive experience to one of indifference or dissatisfaction. However, we do have control over our reactions to outside stimuli and I think it's important to acknowledge and embrace our capacity to shift our perspective and craft our own unique experiences with intention.
My grandpa who passed away a few years ago came to me in a dream one night and gave me some advice. He initially asked me what I thought would be my perfect life, to which I responded that I would love to be a writer in leisure on the coast of Italy (no, I've never been to the country ... I think I would really enjoy it). He then imparted wisdom that has stuck with me ever since - he said the way to attain what I desire can only be achieved by actively treating each day as though I am already living the life of my dreams - to look around at my surroundings as if I'm seeing them for the first time, with the same wonder and awe I would imagine experiencing in Italy. It may seem a little woo-woo witchy to some, but even if you don't personally believe in spirit it is phenomenal advice to combat the mundane.
So I started looking up on my walks to work, painting pictures in my mind of who lived in the houses I passed or wondering what the city looked like when it was first being developed. Every day I fought the ease of a humdrum mentality by admiring what is often overlooked and therefore transforming what I once deemed as unremarkable. My mood improved with every restrictive perspective I redirected and instead of simply "making it through the day," I became an active participant in constructing my own fantastical reality.
There's a scene in the show Broad City where the main characters (Abbi & Ilana) are sitting on a patio and overhear a duo near them conversing in Italian, to which Ilana responds emphatically, "New York IS Europe. I love it." And that's the kind of positive delusion I feel is healing to the soul - the simple alteration of your inner monologue can level you up into a playful energy plane.
So now when I picnic at Boom Island, it evolves into my personal Central Park - which heightens my already pleasant experience of people watching, basking in the sun, playing games, and lounging lazily on a bright Saturday afternoon. Likewise, when I'm playing a game of Catan with my girlies, the cognitive shift allows me to become queen of High Garden, plotting and scheming in an attempt to conquer the Seven Kingdoms. When I watch Vanderpump Rules, I am a sociologist studying the human condition and its variations with relentless passion. And when I'm in the elegant and cozy dining space of Edward's Dessert Kitchen, sipping an espresso martini and indulging in decadent treats at 9 pm on a Saturday night, I'm in New York which IS Europe which is ... whatever I imagine it to be.
In order to romanticize your life, you have to lean into the fantasy and connect with the childlike wonder that too often lies dormant, the part of you that's dying to play pretend. The life you live is only as magic as you allow it to be. If you open up yourself to the possibility that things are what they seem and more, you will see your memories painted with colors you were unaware to be in your palette. Create narratives that make life a little more silly, a little more light - craft your own silver lining. While falling asleep, imagine your bed is a cloud and you're a baby pegasus from Fantasia, ready to slumber peacefully after a storm. Talk to yourself like you're on Chef's Table while you make your favorite meal. Getting dressed and made up for a night out? Vogue is there interviewing you and you're ready to share a few cheeky secrets.
Everyone deserves to have fun - for their lives to feel like magic when it's so easy to let the horrors of our modern world consume us, so easy to allow the opinions of others to determine what should make us happy and what should inspire vitriol. There is no reason to ignore the atrocities that are broadcasted daily for us to see, but there needs to be a balance. With so much emphasis on the external forces at work - in a culture that tells you to constantly look to the next purchase, next job, next vacation, next trend etc. - it is vital to build up your internal forces to stand guard and protect your sense of self. Know that you are the creator of your reality, and your role as a meaning maker is weighed with far more importance than any societal nameplate. Actively creating space for whimsy and joy will free you, if only for just awhile.
