Travel Enriches and Fulfils
Pulled by the tail-end of the year 2023 and hurled forward by the flag-bearer days of 2024, I barreled through Nairobi, Kampala, Entebbe, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Washington DC, New York, Buffalo, Niagara City, Toronto City, Ottawa City to Rockland and made them my homes away from home.
Travel expands one’s perception and understanding of life surrounding one whether at the immediate or distant vicinity.
Travel is a medium through which one fulfils plans made earlier about a journey. It is a mental, physical, cultural, emotional, spiritual, economic and social exercise.
How one relates contributes to one’s self-esteem, self-worth, self-recognition and self-preservation. When one travels they have in mind five things: to arrive at a given destination; experience the journey; be able to make the connection between staying the course as well as fulfilling the requirements of the journey such as having all one’s documents in order; noting landmarks and learning from the experiences of travel; and ensuring that the journey adds value to one’s meaning of life.
I started this journey from Kenya’s bustling Nairobi where I took a bus on the 24th/12/2023. I had to book a hotel room to be nearer to the bus station and it enabled me to check in earlier too even if the bus came an hour after the designated time of departure.
I used the time before the arrival of the bus to strike conversations with potential travel-mates. Among these mates were those who would sit next to during the next 500+ miles to Kampala which would be covered through the entire night. I like to converse and ask about other people when traveling. I intended to break the ice earlier so that once I start asking questions people will feel comfortable talking and sharing experiences.
I got to know many Ugandans, Sudanese, Ethiopians, Eritreans and Kenyans who were going to Uganda for Christmas time using that same bus.
By 6:00 am we were in beautiful Kampala City on Christmas Day.
Earlier on in December 2023, I had made up my mind to travel to Mexico City, Toronto and eventually to Washington DC. However, it was also Christmas time so I had to start small and progress onwards. I enjoy traveling in order to get away, be able to see places and getting to feel the physical world again after being closed up in the virtual or zoom. I have done a lot of virtual interactions that I have forgotten what it means to live in a physical world. I am sure travel will bring back some of that experience.
Christmas came and went. On the 27th/12/2023, I went to book all my tickets with my favourite flier, the KLM. I enjoy the activities that go on as one makes the booking, waits, pays and gets the satisfaction that any given task has been accomplished.
The thrill that comes with traveling to the airport, getting all the luggage checked in, approved, one allowed to walk through the gates and hop onto the plane.
Travel Enriches and Fulfils:
1. The welcome feeling at Entebbe International Airport;
2. The deep hospitality of the Schiphol International Airport;
3. The timely and expedient touch of the Mexico City International Airport (MEX);
4. The relaxing, laid back and assuring atmosphere at the Dulles International Airport (IAD);
5. The broadness of Washington DC seen from the sky, so breath-taking;
6. The memories of the nearness of the cotton fluffy clouds as one takes to the sky form the Schiphol Airport that keep coming back even as I travelled through different cities from Washington DC, New York, Buffalo, Niagara City, Toronto, Ottawa, Rockland and back home to Washington DC;
7. Walking about the different cities and getting
to see how they experience life.
8. Comparing the airports and knowing that it is possible to walk-in and out of them intact;
9. Knowing Amsterdam, Mexico City, Washington DC, New York, Buffalo, Niagara City, Toronto, Rockland and Ottawa;
10. Sitting down and writing about this experience.
Indeed travel expands one’s perception. I know so much more than I knew before I embarked in this journey.
Travel contributes to one’s understanding of life surrounding one, for now I know what it means to live in chilly Toronto, Ottawa and Rockland. I know what it means to travel all night for so many miles and sitting in crumpled space. I know what it means to have luggage fall on one's head (fortunately the overhead stow away space in most of the buses accommodates tiny bags whose weight does not hurt that much). I know so well what it means to be dropped off in a new town and immediately start looking for a tax-cab when your phone no longer works but somehow you prevail. Travel has brought back what I had taken for granted due to all these Zooms and virtual meetings.
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