Packing to blend in & not stand out, has always been my forte; With adventures that push the boundaries of what I think I’m capable of & at times toying with life or death itself, my mum would not appreciate the experiences overseas the way I do.

Reflecting back, it isn’t the big leaps & bounds that I have taken that really confronts me. It’s the unassuming details that lure in the background that eventually boils over. Whilst my time in Mongolia was packed with symbolism, ancient history & philosophical questions the one thing that stuck out to me was the big divide between the city & countryside.

It is an obvious clash of ideas that is universal to each & every culture.

But what makes Mongolia any different?

Let’s begin with shopping for a Gucci bag. Hanging around Ulaanbaatar, I wanted to find a symbol of both internal & external growth. I’ve never been drawn to luxury clothing & still don’t have the need to, but something struck me that particular day on feeling the need to ‘flash dat cash’.

Superficial? absolutely… did I end up purchasing it in the end? no.

Why would I get something that is the same — when I paid to experience something different.

Authentic experiences are becoming harder to find especially within this day & age. It’s not very often you get to hear firsthand how to read the wind & animals for changes in the environment nor common knowledge on how to build a yurt.

Prior to Ulaanbatar, I was wondering around Dalanzadgad being chaperoned at speeds of over 120km/hr. The lizard part of my brain activates & I’m struck with fear & excitement — Could totally quit my job right now. But one look at my bank account brings me back to reality. Maybe, in a couple more years if I’m lucky. My eyes are peppered with dust & I’m wearing the same clothes for 4 days straight!

Mongolia is another world. An overwhelming vastness hits you being surrounded by steppes covered in lusciously green grass & sights of pebbles piled together to replicate the hills around it; upon each pebble hill are blue flags to symbolize gratitude for the sky & land. Shamanism still lives on in this part, of planet earth. A long-held fascination of mine.

Found within a shop full of knives & hunting gears a Sharman toy; fortune telling for kids. I just found a Sharman toy for kids. Packed with instructions & animal bones. A Sharman toy for kids. Needless to say — I didn’t think twice about the price tag.

What is it about the toy that I decided was perfect?

I wondered if this would spark my niece & nephew’ curiosity about the world, they live in. Just like it did for me…

The more I travel the more I see, the younger generation to be so quick in shedding the past in favor of what’s new & current. Not all external influences are negative. Often these have the potential to improve the quality of living, with diverse ideas spurring on optimism & fresh new perspectives.

Given my own situation, most aspects of my life have been ‘Gucci-fied’. Staying current with the society I live in; it would make no sense to uphold the past. But this is all I’ve ever known. To completely renounce the past means to let go of cultural identity, community & shared values. To pass up the toy. Each country has its own perspective adding another dimension to an already complex world. When people undermine the uniqueness — the harder it gets to find authentic.

In the end, is it really owning a Gucci and/or being ‘Gucci’ something I can really buy into OR is it the bags sold down the road made by the locals for the locals?

Will there ever be a middle ground between the two?

P.S: I absolutely loved my time in Mongolia & intend to come back for documenting purposes!