The Whimsy

On the pre-trip call, I shared that while I'm glad we have an itinerary, I'm also a little worried. I didn't want the days to feel too crowded, too rigid. I didn't want us to miss out on the fun of stumbling into something lovely, something whimsical. When I'm in a new city, I want to discover new, cute things unexpectedly: corners, cozy nooks and pretty places unplanned. The kind of things you only find when you're wandering, meandering, dilly-dallying.

To my concern, Tolu said, The plan isn't to fill the days with activities, but to give ourselves one or two good reasons to get out of the house. Because on holidays, it's so easy to stay in bed all day. Before you know it, it's late, places are closed — especially in these parts, where they have work-life balance.

If we have one or two activities a day, it'll take us out of the house. Once we're out, that's where the real discovery can happen. On our way there, on our way back, or even during. That's when the whimsy can find us.

I saw the sense in it and agreed.

Much to my surprise, it happened on the very first day of the trip.

We arrived at our accommodation, dropped our bags, and stepped out to the shopping area. On the way, we stumbled across a random bookstore. I went in and was immediately struck by how beautifully the books were arranged in this circular layout that felt intentional and artistic.

We ended up spending time just looking around. The space had an entrance area with seating and an inner section where you could lounge and read. It was so cute. Stupid cute.

When we came out, still walking, Tolu looked at me and said, "Didn't I tell you? Isn't this the whimsy you were talking about?"

I often sit (lie on my bed) around waiting for whimsy to appear. Whimsy doesn't show up like that. Whimsy shows up while you're already doing something. Maybe it's on your way to somewhere. At work, it's while you're already doing the work.

If you simply sit still and wait, not only would nothing get done, but you also won't find the whimsy, and we must always find the whimsy.

Another example: we stumbled on a niche ceramics and souvenirs store.