Dallas came to Helsinki. We talked about freedom. And fear.
Dallas is in town. If you followed our Japan journey HERE, you already know him.
The 71-year-old Maine native who first arrived in Japan in 1970 for the Osaka World Expo. Today he runs the VIBAe space, The LOCK, in Tokyo. He moves through cities like he owns the pavement. In Tokyo, we called it The Dallas Dash.
Now he’s in Helsinki, and for once, he’s sitting down. Tara is trying to get his perspective on something that has been sitting in the back of her mind for a while.
TARA: "My youngest turns 16 next week. In a couple of years, he'll be gone and I'm free to live anywhere. It's kind of daunting."
DALLAS: "How so?"
TARA: "So many options. I keep thinking I'll make the wrong decision and end up making no decision at all."
DALLAS: "I think it's really complicated. You can't just transplant yourself into another community without context. For me it's always been organic."
TARA: "What do you mean?"
DALLAS: "My connection to Japan goes back to when I was a teenager. One thing led to another. Eight years in an artist's studio in Kyoto. Getting married. Moving back to Maine. Then back to Japan. No plan. Just learning from experiences. Being open to people."
TARA: "So what would your advice be for someone like me?"
DALLAS: "Think about your past. A place that's really spoken to you. And then stay open — to influences, experiences, people. Whatever directs you."
TARA: "But if you just think about the places, you're going to be overwhelmed."
DALLAS: "Exactly. You'll think you're going to make the wrong decision, and you'll stay put."
TARA: "So what's the actual key?"
DALLAS: "People. Without a doubt, people more than place. There are so many wonderful places. It's the people you meet that make the difference. If you've got a group of people, a place where you feel welcome — that's what helps you settle in."
Tara is quiet for a moment.
TARA: "So it's not really about geography at all."
DALLAS: "It's about community. That community could be in Maine, it could be in Helsinki, it could be anywhere."
He pauses.
DALLAS: “And that’s what good product does. It creates connection. That’s how we’re all here, right?”
Tara looks at him.
TARA: "So I've been overthinking the map and underthinking the people."
DALLAS: "Welcome to the conclusion I reached as a teenager. Only took you—"
TARA: "Don't."
