How Traveling to Minsk Changed My Life

The pleasing surroundings of Minsk had me in awe. 

Just the simple activity of getting up in the morning and looking out the window to see the beauty of this city in Europe, got my heart pumping. I cannot say that I am totally armed with knowledge about everything Minsk that I would like to have come to know with my own travel experience, but I can say that every minute spent there made me feel animated.

The beautiful waters of the Minsk Sea brought the atmosphere to life. If only I were as bold as a lion, I would have colored outside of the lines and dived into her waves. Yet still, just seeing this different world with my own eyes gave me great elation. If anything was worth changing for me, it would be to know more and to see more in the block of time that I was caught up in the rapture of the magnetic pull of this Belarusian region.

I can honestly say that I had a hard time getting to bed at night because of the time difference. It might have been midnight there but in New York, it was 5PM. That is a time of day when my strength is usually that of a bull pushing through the currents of time. And when its 10PM in New York, in Minsk it is 5AM and I can admit that in a New York minute, my strength starts getting sapped like in the heat of summer.  Yet still, often times, I am up to the wee hours of the morning like a night owl, still with the fire of enthusiasm to persevere in my preparations for success. But nothing like a little bit of pressure and a cup of some good old Americano coffee to cope with to help me in catapulting beyond my yesterday.

Each day it got better and better. I have so many vivid details of the antiquated buildings, the alpine backdrops, the birch trees that lined the highways, the lively and colorful places, people with a grandeur of soul, the food and the amazing music that tugged at my attention and absorbed into my memory. I met so many different walks of life with down home spirits that made me feel as if I squeezed right into the mold. Though we have different dwelling places, we are not that different at all; except for where we call home. So many good moments to keep stored in my cerebral filing cabinet.

I can say that it was a landmark moment in my life to be able to say that I shared my talents there. Artists from all over the world came on one stage under the lunar brightness for the

wonderful Jazz at the Sea Festival. It was valuable for me because I got to experience ambitious people with more years of experience doing what we do in action and it was inspiring. Imagine all the tools and the strategies you can learn just by watching someone else sharing their hand-tailored blessings.

What a great way to perfect my landscape of perception of how one can spread their wings and provide a full measure of joy through music. Evaluating their performances made me reflect on ways I could scale my own performances.  I can say that this musical journey was designed just for my own personal development and growth as an artist and musician.  

Not only do I love Minsk for the beautiful place it was but also because of how coming together in harmony with Belarusian musicians for a night of music made the land come alive for me. I even felt like taking off my shoes during my performance, so I could feel the energy of the land surge through my body.

It makes me see traveling through a lens of love. Traveling expands your understanding of the world. It brings heights of joy that ought to be felt. Traveling is like a veiled breeze on a scorching hot day; makes you look at the world which you inhabit differently. And so, to have seen Minsk in such a majestic way leaves me highly motivated. Traveling to Belarus was definitely one of the most moving forces that will forever burn like a blazing fire in my heart.