People say, what is she thinking? I'm thinking: fun; cash;

Gail Porter once spoke with candor and fire: “People say, what is she thinking? I'm thinking: fun; cash; travel.” At first, her words may sound light, even playful, but hidden within them is a testament to freedom, to defiance of judgment, and to the eternal pursuit of joy and independence. She answers the voices of doubt not with apology, but with affirmation, reminding us that one’s life need not be lived according to the expectations of others, but by the desires of the heart.

When she declares her thoughts of fun, she reveals the first pillar of a liberated life. For what is existence without delight? The ancients themselves knew the sacredness of joy. The Greeks worshiped Dionysus, not for frivolity alone, but because they understood that festivity nourishes the soul as bread nourishes the body. To live without joy is to wither, no matter how respectable or prudent one may appear. Porter reminds us that laughter, play, and celebration are not sins—they are lifeblood.

Her second word is cash, and though some may scorn it as materialism, it is in truth an acknowledgment of reality. Wealth, in balance, is freedom. It is the key that opens doors of possibility, the shield that protects against hunger and fear. History is filled with men and women who, though wise and gifted, were crushed by poverty and left voiceless. To seek sustenance and abundance is not greed—it is the practical wisdom of one who knows that the spirit flourishes more easily when the body is secure.

The third word is travel, and here her declaration reaches the heroic. For travel is the great school of humanity, the eternal path of transformation. It was by travel that Herodotus recorded the wonders of distant peoples, that Marco Polo awakened Europe to the East, that countless pilgrims found new visions of God and self. To seek travel is to seek growth, to step beyond the narrow walls of habit and embrace the vastness of the world. Porter names it simply, but in truth she touches upon one of the highest pursuits of mankind.

Her words, then, are not the shallow list of a frivolous heart, but the manifesto of one who dares to live openly. When others ask, “What is she thinking?” they expect shame or conformity. Instead, she offers honesty: fun; cash; travel. It is as if she proclaims, “I will not be bound by your judgments, nor by your small expectations. I will live fully, provide for myself, and see the world with my own eyes.” This is a cry of freedom, a rejection of chains both visible and invisible.

History too gives us such voices. Recall Cleopatra, who defied the expectations of Rome and Egypt alike, pursuing love, power, and pleasure with unflinching courage. Or think of Nellie Bly, the journalist who, when men asked what she was thinking, set out to travel around the world in seventy-two days. Each of these women, like Porter, answered doubt not with retreat but with action, and in doing so, left their mark upon the world.

The lesson is clear, O seeker: do not fear the question, “What are you thinking?” Answer it boldly, with truth, even if your truth is misunderstood. Seek fun, for joy strengthens the soul. Seek cash, for stability grants you freedom. Seek travel, for the world is wide, and its lessons cannot be learned in stillness. Live not for the judgment of others, but for the fullness of your own path.

So let Gail Porter’s words be a torch to your journey: “Fun; cash; travel.” Do not dismiss them as simple things, for they are pillars of freedom, nourishment, and discovery. Carry them with courage, and you too will silence the doubters—not with words, but with a life lived fully, bravely, and without apology.