France

Studying abroad in Lacoste was my first real lesson in how a place can rewire the way you see. The village itself is barely a dot on the map, with medieval stone walls, narrow winding paths, and a hilltop that overlooks endless Provençal lavender fields. Everything there felt intentional and unhurried, and that quiet restraint started showing up in my design work. I stopped reaching for excess and started finding beauty in texture, aged materials, and negative space.