I still remember him standing outside our front door, cigar in his mouth, lighting firecrackers and throwing them into the big snow field on the empty plot next to our house. He was 18 years old. It was around then that my friend began developing a taste for the exquisite things in life. Not exquisite as in “expensive” — at least not necessarily.
13 years later, he has sunset some of his suits and former whiskey carts in favor of his “Hunting Home.” He goes out into the forest on the regular, and he is completely rebuilding his lodge together with his wife. Antlers grace the walls and chandeliers. Fur carpets and ancient art make for fitting decor. Every element, they painstakingly build by hand — and they love it.
My friend never strayed too far from home. He didn’t move to NYC or pursued some crazy dream halfway around the globe. That hasn’t hurt his education one bit. During the day, he works as a consultant. He’s up to speed on day-to-day affairs. He knows his tech and business lingo. Yet, he’s not striving for a big stage — he has everything he needs right where he is.
My friend is a man of the world who just happens to live in a village. You don’t need to travel the cosmos in order to be cosmopolitan. He elevates his life through his habits and views, and therefore, he doesn’t need to reach some high place for his life to be elevated.
Be who you want to be where you are. You’ve already got everything you need. All you have to do is combine your ingredients, and you can make a cosmopolitan even in the smallest of towns.