Music: Golden Cage by The Whitest Boy Alive (Fred Falke remix)
What if I told you my friend Alex spent her entire childhood living in hotels across the globe?
Endless room service ...
Opulent architecture and Babylonian gardens ...
a Life FREE from the mundane.
It’s a fantasy that, on the surface, seems like the ultimate childhood. Every day: an adventure filled with potential for life-changing transience.
Intentional Humanity
Alexandra was born in Istanbul and, thanks to her father’s career in the hotel industry, spent her formative years moving from one country to another: Turkey, Europe, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada.
Her home was not a single address, but a series of hotel suites, each with its own culture, language, and rhythm. Her parents, both European, eventually retired in Ottawa, but not before giving their daughter a truly global education.
So, you no longer care if there's another day
I guess I have been there, I guess I am there now
You knew what you wanted and you fought so hard
Just to find yourself sitting in a golden cage
In a golden cage
It’s easy to imagine how this could have gone wrong. Most escape to luxurious accommodation to escape structure; hardly ideal for a growing child. What if Alex’s parents had simply let the luxury and novelty of hotel life dictate the family’s values?
The risks are obvious: a child adrift in a sea of privilege, unmoored from any sense of community or responsibility, perhaps even developing a sense of entitlement or detachment from the “real world.” The world is full of cautionary tales about children of privilege who never learn to connect, to empathize, or to give back.
But Alex’s story is the exception that proves the rule. Her parents, rather than letting the environment shape their daughter, were intentional about shaping the environment itself.
They built structure into a life that could have been chaotic. They prioritized values such as community, activism, and environmental stewardship.
Alex speaks with warmth about the communities she encountered, especially in Quebec, and about the importance of caring for others. Her worldview is not one of detachment, but of deep engagement and empathy.
So, of course I miss you and miss you bad
But I also felt this way when I was still with you
Yes, of course I miss you and miss you bad
But I also felt this way when I was still with you
You can learn more about Alex here and here.
I enjoyed catching up with her because our conversation reminded me that in a world that often confuses comfort with care, it is necessary to be intentional about the values we hold dear to ourselves.
Without intention how can we raise our children with our standards in mind?
Structure and values / structured values, perhaps 🤔 - separate a life this is lived and a life that is truly meaningful to us.
What structures have you / are you building?
What values are you prioritizing?
Are you letting your environment shape you, or are you shaping your environment?
The answers will determine the kind of world you create for yourself.
This city's no longer mine
There's sadness written on every corner
Each lover was made to sign
Now I hear them calling me over and over
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