The Things We Carry

LA-based musician JJ Adrian knows what it’s like to be on the move. With a diverse creative network and a life spent spanning both the East and West coasts, a ceremonial destination-themed playlist is always a box on JJ’s travel checklist.

“I like to center myself for a trip by making a playlist of songs that set the mood for the location I’m traveling to. Having a set of songs to set the mood helps me mentally prepare for wherever I’m headed.”

For JJ, travel is a medium to connect and collaborate with other creatives. But, no matter the destination, he never leaves home without a personal family heirloom — a necklace passed down to him from his mother.

“She got this necklace right after she moved to Singapore from the Philippines when she was around my age. I can’t go anywhere without it!”

The music that you create and art you express are deeply connected to experience. Crediting his travels — new places and cultures — as being essential to his creative process, it’s the experiences he takes back with him that are the most valued part of a trip.

Vancouver-based globetrotter and founder of OCIN, a lifestyle brand and eco-swimwear label with the mission to inspire our most open and conscious selves (to help save the world’s oceans), Courtney Chew’s ideal trip is all about preparation.

“I’ve always traveled with productivity in mind. Whether it’s for vacation, or a work trip, my mindset is that if I’m spending time and money to get to wherever I’m going, I definitely want to make the most of it.”

Past being a committed “night before” packer, Courtney has her own way of mentally preparing for a trip. ​“I always make the bed — a little weird, but in a funny way it makes me feel like the trip is complete (and ensure that I haven’t left anything).”

Courtney cites lessons learned abroad that she carries with her everyday. ​“Travel has taught me that we’re all connected; no matter where around the world we live. [This] is what keeps me driven to continue pushing for dreams bigger than myself.”

​The Internal Journey

Every traveler develops their own travel identity and considered approach to making the most of their time someplace else. From planning and preparation to the chaotic bliss of pure discovery, tapping into what makes us tick as travelers empowers us to travel with intention — and unlocks the potential for more meaningful experiences through the self awareness travel provides. Yielding a quiet aurora that comes with the realization that the steps we take are uniquely ours.

For many, experiences trump things. Introspection pixels out into a collection of experiences that shape and define our worldview. Our surroundings and the things we carry with us are the physical manifestation of our own experience; extensions of ourselves.

Belongings, mementos, and keepsakes show us the way the five senses can capture our experiences and the things we hold most dear; allowing a glimpse into the past that inspires future direction. While our tools provide fluency in the now — and free our minds to embrace the view that’s in front of us.

Our journeys. Our belongings. Our story.

LOJEL – Let Our Journeys Enrich Life