This is an entry for Lufthansa’s #TheBlindList #SayYesToTheWorld contest on IndiBlogger.in
Being raised in the quiet capital city of UAE and now settled in India, I had a fairly serene childhood. School routine and family weekend outings kept me content as it is for most Gulf children. Annual family trips during summer vacation took me to Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok. In India, being a South Indian, I’ve visited the hill stations of Ooty and Kodaikanal, the Courtallam falls, a bit of Mysore, Bangalore and Chennai. Most of these visits happened when I was too young to absorb the magic of a new land. I was just tagging along my parents.
Now, as an adult, I want to travel for #enriching experiences. I need to come out of my comfortable cocoon and nourish my dreams of going places. I desire to listen to the drawl of different languages, gaze at the variety of civilisation on different landforms. I want to feel enchanted with the novelty of the air and the soil. I want to experience different temperatures and experiment with varied seasonal wear. It would be a real date with the world.
I crave to gratify my visual senses with the flora and fauna of different places. I want to feel mesmerised by the breathtaking views from hilltops. I wish to go bird watching in lush equatorial forests. I want to admire the cerulean waters of exotic beaches. I’d love to sift the pearly white snow through my fingers. It would be grand to stay in an overnight tent, watching the sun rising over the desert sand. Or go for a desert safari ride over the dunes. Just as Jasmine cruised on Aladdin’s magic carpet, I’d hover around the world, drinking in the pleasures of the enticing locales.
To me, travelling is not supposed to be a symbol of luxury, it is actually a sign of humility. It is to bow down before the divine strokes that painted picturesque landscapes. It is an #openminded declaration of the might and power of God. Only a person who can truly marvel the greatness of God can appreciate His handiwork over varied terrains. In fact, it’s vice versa too. A true traveller tries to get closer to God on experiencing the amazing visuals of the world. It is not just to discover God, but #self-exploration as well. To get in touch with the soul, one needs to understand the vast expanse of the earth and his/her place in it.
I don’t want my life to be limited within the confines of home, school, workplace and my community. The prospect of visiting a new place exhilarates and rejuvenates like none other. I had boarded a docked cruise vessel once for a tour. Just the thought of sailing on this heavenly chariot to unexplored destinations was sensational. The time will come soon, for me to go bouncing with glee. To see the world, what is required more than money, is an earnest desire for it.
~ Fahima Yousouf
A Writer's Retreat 