Reflections from a Globetrotter
I've lived at six different addresses in the past six years. Travelled around seven countries, maybe eight. I've lost count to be honest.
A couple of days ago I was telling a dear friend that I am moving to Pakistan for a few months. She told me that my life is so spontaneous. I get to travel a lot. I agree. Unlike many millennials, travelling has never really been on my wishlist. Don’t get me wrong. I love visiting new places and exploring. But I can do without it as well. It just so happens that I get to travel frequently. And it all started happening after I got married.
When women get married from where I come from, they say that she brings her own fate or destiny. It’s often prayed that a woman’s fate or destiny brings good tidings. I believe that a man brings about his fate and destiny as well. When I got married, it just so happened that I began travelling a lot. I guess my husband’s fate/destiny brought good tidings to my life!
My husband and I have lived in New Zealand, Australia, USA and now Pakistan. It’s dreadful moving from one place to another. The entire process of wrapping up your belongings and starting afresh somewhere is always daunting. The funny thing is wherever my husband and I go, we tell ourselves we’re going to be settling this time around. But life has different plans for us. And I guess I’m okay with that.
Our families get quite frustrated with us moving around. For them, moving means instability and financial insecurity. To some extent, they are right. Every decision has its pros and cons. But sometimes, you just have to go with the flow. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from travelling is that the world is too humongous of a place to just be sitting where you are your entire life. There is so much to explore and learn- not only about places but about yourself as well. Discovering who you are when living in different places is a unique kind of self-growth.
I’m in Pakistan right now. I’m not sure how many months I’ll be spending here. Before here, I was living in Weehawken, NJ. I miss that house. I miss all the houses I’ve lived in. I know for many people travelling is a luxury, a privilege. I consider myself extremely lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to travel so much. I’ve been able to grow tremendously living in different countries and interacting with people of various backgrounds. There is so much to explore. So much to learn. We are all travellers in this world, wandering around trying to figure out where to be. Anita Desai, an author wrote, “Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” This speaks volumes. Wherever you go, you meet yourself and realize that you truly are a tiny being in this vast, vast world.