A Sensory Travel Surprise!

* Disclaimer: post may not be for all – meat market photos attached *

My senses are alert as I meander down the streets in Greece, making choices based on curiosity not a map or clock dictating my direction. I smell flowers and cologne suspended midair as incense emits from local shops. Air conditioning from a store front caresses my skin as I pass in the heat of June. I listen to the local dialect and smile as cats curl beneath the shade of a tree.

Numerous languages surround me in an auditory heaven, a mesmerizing soundtrack as I weave between tourists to explore beyond the trodden path. Traveling solo allows me to remain present in my body and at peace within my sensitive inner world.

I feel safe here.

My nervous system is calm, a happy belly, digestion at its prime. I feel alive utilizing organic navigational skills over routine and structure. It feels authentic – primal as I remember at my core, I am human once normalcy fades and everything is new.

It was all rainbows and butterflies before my exploring soles led me into a Greek meat market…Immediately I was too far in before realizing how wretched the scents and visuals were to stomach. Moments prior, I had been on a perfect dreamy adventure. Life surely can take a turn.

Butchers in white lab coats stood proudly in front of glass cases, chunks of raw meat scattered upon the marble floor. Bloody animal parts hung, squashing my butterfly energy.

My God, is that a massive calf’s foot??! What the?! Is that a table for two inside a meat market?! I can think of romantic venues without the stench of raw meat and a side of harsh reality what the animals endured.

Horror film-sized knives laid out upon white tablecloths shifting me in higher gear, trying not to draw unwanted attention. I needed to escape ASAP, but each hallway in the warehouse looked similar in length to the very first marathon.

Focus, exit now before I inhale one more time…Fear not! I escaped, or this would be AI.

Travel is an investment I never regret and the most important book I have ever read. Next time, I’ll just skip the meat market chapter and return to smelling flowers and cologne!

* DISCLAIMER: * PHOTOS MAY CAUSE UNWANTED SENSATIONS *