I’ve always been one of those people who walks quickly, thinks quickly, plans quickly. Even on trips I used to feel the need to “see everything,” as if beauty counted only when it was squeezed into a checklist.

But today, standing in the courtyard of this stunning historical place, surrounded by sunlight, stone, and people from every corner of the world, something shifted. I didn’t want to rush anymore.

I let myself breathe.
I let myself simply be here.

I watched how the shadows from the arches fell on the marble floor. How the wind carried snippets of different languages. How everyone looked in different directions — yet somehow we were all sharing the same moment.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt calm. Not because life became simpler — but because I allowed myself to notice the simple things again.

Maybe that’s what travel is actually for. Not to collect pictures…
…but to collect yourself, piece by piece, in places that remind you how big and beautiful the world is.