Growing up, I was a nomad by default. My father was a diplomat with the Foreign Service (based in Washington D.C.) and we lived overseas in places like Helsinki, Düsseldorf and Paris—moving every 3 years or so. We did a ton of traveling around Europe and in the U.S. and I could never get enough of it.
There is something exciting, scary and refreshing about being uprooted to a foreign place and changing your scenery to one that is unfamiliar. I remember feeling like I could wipe my slate clean and make a fresh start every time we moved to a new town. The more we moved, the more natural it became, and I almost couldn't wait for the next stop. I made tons of friends along the way, learned languages, saw endless new sights and never suffered from lack of culture or inspiration.
The beauty of living a Free-Spirited life has always appealed to me. I don't fear commitment, I fear immobility, stagnation and boredom. I never want to stop moving, and exploring and seeing the world. There is too beauty much out there!
Something about these images of gypsies around the world is so romantic and lovely—the combination of patterns in their clothing, the colors and movement. They are swirling and dancing and bright and free and that speaks to me.
Clockwise from top left: Transylvanian Romani with Rajasthani influence, Ukrainien from Metcollection, Image from Lysia Blog, Olga Azarova - photo: Nicolay Bessonov, Romany Caravan, Turkish vest, Remzi Taskiran painting 1961 Turkey, Lyalya Moldavskaya - Photo: Nicolay Bessonov, Turkmen girl, Caravan detail, Gypsy portrait