I Didn't Fall in Love with England.

I Fell in Love with the Version of Myself I Met There.

When people ask about my trip to the UK, they usually expect me to talk about the castles, cathedrals, or beautiful countryside.

And yes... those were incredible.

But they aren't what has stayed with me.

The moment I keep coming back to happened on an ordinary afternoon in York (the original... not the "new" version we have here in the states).

I had an iced coffee in my hand, my phone put away, nowhere I needed to be, and no plan other than to wander.

At some point I caught myself thinking,

"I really like who I am here."

That thought surprised me.

Not because I wanted to become someone else.

But because it felt like I'd reconnected with someone I already knew.

York wasn't my favorite because it was beautiful.

It was the pace.

Instead of rushing from one attraction to the next, I found myself reading plaques on old buildings, wandering down side streets, and asking far too many questions.

Who built this?

What happened here?

What did this place look like 500 years ago?

I wasn't trying to check things off a list.

I was simply curious.

Looking back, I don't think the UK made me more curious.

I think it gave my curiosity somewhere to stretch.

When I got home, I finally realized why that feeling had stayed with me.

I didn't miss the United Kingdom, well I did but... I missed the version of myself I met there.

At home, my life is wonderfully full and also stressful smack dab in the middle of "the sandwich generation". And toss in small business owner... it fills up very fast.

Somewhere along the way, it's easy to become the sum of your responsibilities.

This trip reminded me that underneath all those roles is still the person who loves history, notices craftsmanship, asks one more question than necessary, and could happily spend an afternoon wandering with absolutely no destination.

Maybe that's the real souvenir I brought home.

Not something that fit in my suitcase.

A reminder that I want to make a little more room in my everyday life for wandering.

For noticing.

For curiosity.

I don't know if I'll ever live in York (the OG).

But I do hope I can bring a little of York's pace into my life back home.

Have you ever traveled somewhere that made you think, "I like who I am here"?