My Fling with the World

When I was 19, I was given the choice between a shiny, new MacIntosh computer and a 21-day college humanities tour in Europe. I was sure my destiny lay in graphic design, so it should have been easy, right? My love of everything Beatles and Bottecelli convinced me otherwise. And it remains my most life-changing experience ever. Spending three weeks on planes, trains, buses, night boats and hovercrafts taught me some valuable lessons. In London, I learned that extra ice means two cubes instead of one. In Paris, I came to appreciate the value of a good map while lost in a French cemetery. At an outdoor market in Florence, I was reminded that the thrill of scoring a good bargain is universal – even when bagging a Claiborne knock-off from a mild-mannered Park Ridge, Ill. couple. Traveling outside our comfort zone reminds us that we’re more alike than different. We share the world with so many people – why not take the time to get to know them? All of us have the potential to be “Women of the World” but first we have to crack open the window. And buy a map.

~Chris, Editor for skirt! Tampa Bay

ckuhn@tampabayskirt.com