I’m back in Barcelona after my motorhome trip through Spain, and it felt like I experienced a real shift in perspective. It’s been three years since I left South Africa, but it’s crazy how much of that old conditioning still lingers.

Three moments stood out on this trip that I want to share with you:

1. Fear of Safety:

One night, I parked my motorhome right by the ocean and kept the doors open to sleep under the stars. It was a perfect moment, but I felt so anxious that something bad might happen, that I will be attacked at any moment. It’s like this deep-rooted South African conditioning where you always have to be alert, always aware of danger. But here? I slept under the stars, right by the water, and… nothing happened. It was this strange but liberating realization that sometimes, the fear we carry is from another place and time.

2. Wealth Beyond Borders:

As I drove through these small “seaside towns,” I was expecting something similar to the coastal spots back home – think Margate, Balito – simple, humble. But instead, I was met with skyscrapers, luxury cars, and so much visible wealth (check out Benidorm – a little town I have not even heard of before – only 70k residents – but looks bigger than most cities in SA). It reminded me how easy it is to get trapped in our own bubble, assuming the world looks like where we come from. It opened my mind a bit more to what’s possible.

3. Self-Service Shock:

This one’s more on the funny side. I pulled into a petrol station, waited for about 10 minutes, and thought, Wow, service here is terrible. Only to realize… fuel stations in Spain are self-service.

It left me with a question: What beliefs or assumptions are you carrying that don’t even belong to your current reality anymore?

Sometimes, it’s only when we step out of the familiar that we realize how deeply ingrained those thoughts are. But maybe it’s time to let them go.

To new realities,
Marnus