Travel has the incredible power to push us outside our bubbles — and change our lives for the better.
That’s what inspired photographer Morgane J.A. — founder of the nonprofit Lumière, which uses artistic projects to raise money for charities — to start collecting images from her travels in a book, aptly titled "Travellers."
“When you travel, you go outside your comfort zone, you experience more, you live more,” she explained over email.
Morgane J.A. in Iceland. Photo by Aida Mark.
The book features photos from people Morgane has met on her travels and showcases the power and importance not just of traveling, but of storytelling too. It's a celebration of the effect travel can have in broadening horizons and expanding worldviews.
Here are just some of the amazing destinations Morgane and her explorer friends have visited that you can find in the book:
1. Photographer Mathis Dumas climbed the Dolomites in Italy for this breathtaking view.
Photo by Mathis Dumas.
2. This surreal sand boat was captured by explorer Victor Habchy at Burning Man.
Photo by Victor Habchy
3. As was this lonely bike rider in a dust cloud.
Photo by Victor Habchy.
4. Photographer Morgan Maassen captured another photographer diving beneath the waves in Teahupo'o, Tahiti.
Photo by Morgan Maassen.
5. Explorer George Turner captured the rugged landscape on Isle of Skye.
Photo by George Turner.
6. This breathtaking view of Engadin, Switzerland, was spotted by photographer Aida Mark.
Photo by Aida Mark.
7. In Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, photographer Daniel Ernst caught a quiet moment.
Photo by Daniel Ernst.
8. And in Yosemite National Park, adventurer Morgan Phillips captured a shot of this solitary figure looking out over Taft Point.
Photo by Morgan Phillips.
The mission of the Lumière projects and the "Travellers" book is to "spread light" — which Morgane defines as giving something of yourself to grow as a person.
“This is the goal of this project, to bring something positive, some light, while helping a good cause and spreading more light,” she wrote.
An issue near and dear to Morgane is the conservation of nature and wildlife. She hopes that by sharing these amazing destinations and encouraging others to help, we can conserve these amazing places for future generations to visit.
“The protection of the environment should be one of our main focus as it impacts all of us,” she said, which is why she has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund and will be donating the book's proceeds to the charity.
So, get inspired! Go out, explore, and learn something about yourself and the world. Start your next adventure. There's no better time than now.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."