To Travel Is To Live

My parents encouraged me to be curious about the world. My father took my sister and me out to explore many times during our childhood in Pakistan. We went to the only aquarium the city had near the Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s Mausoleum to learn about the sea animals and to the circus to be entertained. We also went to safaris and the Karachi Zoo, where I rode the back of Anarkali, the late female elephant. While I was a bit nervous, being up high on such a large creature was exhilarating and I remember the excited faces of everyone else there. This girl had a wise face, and she trumpeted after our excursion, seeming to say thank you and goodbye to us.

            It seemed the trips to fun places were never-ending. We went to amusement parks, where we rode roller coasters and bumper cars, and we explored haunted houses. At one such amusement park I remember the Well of Death, where a car or a bike would circle around a well with a eunuch dancing to songs from old movies nearby. I remember the adrenaline from this exciting spectacle coursing through my body. 

            We would go on family picnics, and sometimes friends of my parents and their children would come along. Our family would pile into my dad’s seven-seater station car and head to beaches or parks. Mother would prepare delicious food, like biryani and kebabs. We would also bring snacks with yogurt and fresh juices. On one such afternoon, we all told stories about each other and sang songs, leading to so much laughter that my ribs and face hurt from laughing so much. I remember feeling tired after days of exploring, and falling asleep eager to know where we would visit next.

            I greatly cherish all that my parents were able to do for me. It sparked an inner desire in me when I was a child to explore the world that continues to this day. It gave me an appreciation for traveling to both places near and far. Every trip to a different place makes me come across a new story that is worth more than anything money could buy. The experiences also make my life richer – these feelings of awe and excitement make me feel inspired and alive. More people have been to space than those who have visited the whole world, and I’d like to be one of those people who has seen the whole world.