So I learned French over the weekend…

I hosted a small wine tasting gathering last weekend, and in the process of it all, I learned French.

Well, one French word, anyway 😉 —-> Terroir (pronounced /tɛˈrwɑːr/). 

Terroir simply means “a sense of place.” It refers to the coming together of climate, soil and landscape in a way that all 3 factors react together uniquely in each particular vineyard. 

Terroir determines the character of a wine. 
 

We all have our own rhythm, our own sense of place—a terroir—that’s uniquely our own. 

When someone says a wine exhibits terroir, they mean the glass they’re drinking tastes the way a wine grown and made in that region should taste. 

In contrast to globalized products designed to taste the same, terroir evokes notions of authenticity, genuineness and particularity. 

I love thinking about this idea as it might apply to not only the world’s cultures and travel, but also to each of us as individuals.

It reminds me of this quote by Juliette deBairacli Levy: 

“Every land has its own special rhythm,
and unless the traveler takes the time to learn
the rhythm, he or she will remain an outsider
there always.”

Juliette deBairacli Levy

I’ve definitely found this to be true when traveling to new cultures.

But I think the same is true for people. 

We all have our own rhythm, our own sense of place—a terroir—that’s uniquely our own. 

One of my favorite authors, John O’Donohue, says in his book Anam Cara that “place is not simply location. A place is a profound individuality.” 

It’s made up of all the locations we’ve lived, the storms we’ve weathered, the people we’ve known and grown up around. We’re all unique, and we were never meant to “taste” the same. 

Take a moment to consider your own sense of place, your own profound individuality.

--> What kind of soil, climate and landscape formed who you are?

--> What factors have come together to create your own particularity, to make you who you genuinely are? 

--> Can you rest the idea that the you who is on this earth today is a wonderfully brilliant result of the you who was made and grew up in the place and in the way that you did? 

During a time in which it seems easy for me to feel pressure to conform and create an Instagrammable life or career, just offering kindness like this to myself ... by celebrating the fact that I have my own terroir... that feels pretty damn good. 🥰

Note:

This get-together was part of my role as a Travel Coach Network Global Ambassador. The collaboration was with my Friend Heather with Scout and Cellar clean-crafted wines.