001 - The Beginnings

“Humans are humans” has been a phrase that has consumed my mind for the last almost decade. How is it that there are almost 8 billion humans in the world, and I am just one of them? How is it that every single 1 of those 8 billion are unique? And yet how is it that even in our uniqueness, we still can find commonality?

On my first international trip at the age of 16, I did not understand this concept. A side note is that I spent my 17th birthday at Galeries Lafayette in Paris but with my sister and I being young and broke Americans, we chose to eat at McDonalds instead of some of the highest rated restaurants in the world...a lot has changed. During that first overseas trip, I couldn’t wait to get back home. I couldn’t wait to be in familiarity. I couldn’t wait to be back with my friends who I felt connected with.

Two years later, my entire worldview shifted. Instead of having a life altering traumatic experience or a once-in-a-lifetime moment of elation, my worldview shifted with just one thought. “I am one of several billion, and we are all unique and all crafted in the image of God. In my tiny experience and tiny knowledge, I am limited. But the more people, cultures, and world views I can connect with, the larger my ability to understand the world and to understand God becomes.” And thus, my passion for travel was born. It wasn’t out of wanderlust. It wasn’t for Instagram. It wasn’t for soul searching.

It was for humans.

And the more and more that I have experienced the world and different cultures, the more convinced I am that though there are so many distinctions, the world has so much in common. Connecting with someone who speaks a different language than me through a shared laugh is one of my favorite feelings in the entire world.

For the last several years, I have been trying to figure out how to capture that feeling, that thought, and that passion into a brand. It has taken many different forms in my mind. Would it be a consulting company for nonprofits and social entrepreneurs? Would it be a merchandise company that would promote creators from around the globe? Would it be a travel blog?

After hundreds and actually thousands of hours of thought and research and conversations, All for All was birthed. The focus is to highlight the beauty of different countries through some common things: Food, Fashion, Art, and Architecture. As we see beauty, we feel connected. At least that is the hope. Will it develop into the aforementioned 17 things? Probably. For now, I am just creating and connecting as inspiration comes.

Thank you for joining on this journey.

Love,

Liberty Joy