“Traveling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”― Ibn Battuta
From time to time, I’ll be sharing stories from my travels. They will be a collection of “postcards” from the road. Unlike my other work, these posts will not be essays. Rather, they will be un-edited on-the-go reflections made while staring out car windows, waiting in airport terminals, or enjoying a meal of new and exciting flavors. I hope you enjoy this slight detour in our journey together!
Traveling can be both exhilarating and anxiety provoking. Mostly, it’s both. But even when it’s scary or overwhelming, it is also invigorating. I’ve learned more about life through travel than I ever did through any formal education.
I’m embarrassed to say that when I first moved to the Middle East, I assumed that each country was like the other, and that foreigners like myself would be unwelcome. My ideas of the people and places were ignorant at best.
The more I explored, the more wrong I realized I was. Every preconceived notion was blown out of the water. Every fear was quickly diminished. Kind hearted people and challenging people exist in every nation. Beauty and heartbreak touch all of us. We all yearn for the same things — love, safety, belonging, understanding.
Wandering through the souq’s (open air markets) of Bahrain yesterday, I was struck by the melding of old and new. The human ability to adapt was evident in the a/c units hanging out of glassless windows built hundreds of years ago. On the street level, some stalls had been updated, housing brands like Prada, while others still hung their knock off Adidas with twine and twisted metal. Cliche as it is, I couldn’t help but think, change really is the only constant.
Ducking into darkened doorways may not always be a safe choice, but sometimes it reveals unexpected treasures. Yesterday we discovered a postal museum which houses the first ever sent stamp. With a small description, and very little security, we read about the beginning of postage and international post.
You never know what might come from stepping out your front door. It could be disastrous, yes, but the more likely possibility is that you’ll be forced to leave a former version of yourself at the door. The true value of travel is the constant peeling away of ourselves (and the possibility of riding the elevator with members of the Bahrain national soccer team).
So whether you travel across the world or across the road, consider each step away from home as if it’s steeped with the potential to be renewed, to uncover layers of yourself you didn’t even know you had, and to return home a different person.
