There’s a certain kind of magic in leaving. Not the dramatic, storm-out-of-the-room kind of leaving. More like slipping out the side door to quietly step away from the noise. Catching a flight, hopping on a train, or even driving down a stretch of highway with no destination in mind. It’s not about running away — it’s about finding space to breathe.
Some places feel like a deep inhale. Warm sun on your face, the hum of unfamiliar streets, or the quiet hush of mountains that don’t care who you are. Other places feel like a long exhale — the comfort of your childhood home, the familiar creak of old floorboards, or sitting beside someone who knows you without needing words. Either way, the world feels softer when you’re somewhere else.Â
I think that’s the trick: knowing when to leave, even if it’s just for a little while. Life gets loud. Expectations pile up, calendars fill, and suddenly it feels like you’re holding your breath just to get through the week. But stepping away — booking the flight, packing the bag, closing the laptop — reminds you that there’s more to life than just to-do lists and deadlines. There’s more of you beyond the roles you play.
I’ve learned that escaping doesn’t have to be grand. Sometimes, it’s as simple as curling up with a book in a coffee shop where no one knows your name. Or wandering through a city where you can disappear into the crowd. Other times, it’s standing at an airport gate with your heart beating faster because, for the next few days, you belong nowhere and everywhere at once. Untethered. Free.
And when you come back, the world feels a little softer. The noise doesn’t press quite as hard against your chest. Maybe that’s the secret — not escaping for forever, but knowing when to leave and for long enough to remember who you are when the world isn’t asking you to be anything else.
So, catch flights. Or trains. Or quiet moments that feel like a deep breath. And leave the negative feelings — the stress, the pressure, the noise — behind. Just for a little while. Just long enough to come back home as yourself.