Everyone has a story, and this kid’s story is all about his love for travel. At the age of 5, standing next to his father on the balcony of their Kampala home, they watched in silence together, as a plane passed over. It was high but low enough to see every detail. That was the day that kid lost himself to the skies, forever!
18th June 2016 was the darkest day of his life; he lost his father. Sometimes when we lose something, we pause and start looking for something in ourselves. Most of us pause, reflect and often, begin to search the meaning of this life. In August 2016, he finally pondered ‘if you were to die tomorrow, what do you want to be remembered for?’
The answer was obvious; ‘the kid who dared to dream but, more importantly, valued, cared and believed in his dream’.
He once read somewhere ‘more people have been to space than to every single country in the world.’ The more amusing fact is, none have done it on a Pakistani passport.
He wants to be the first!
He wants to be the first!
There is no teacher greater than travel. When someone dares to take that first step outside the comfort of home, it changes everything about them. Leaving home and returning back is very different from not having left at all.
From the loneliness during those beautiful solo sunsets, to the cravings of ‘maa ke haath ka khana’ (mom’s food). From meeting people of all walks of life, to trying different cuisines. From learning how to budget to stay long enough on the road to going with the flow of life, from strangers turned to lifelong friends; there is practically no greater teacher than travel.
This picture reminds me of that kid. The kid who grew up in a lower and later middle-class family; his dad earning just enough to make ends meet. The kid who flew only 4 flights once in 3 years. The kid who watched all his friends fly to the US, Canada, and UK but, he couldn’t afford to go, and so hid his tears from the world. The kid who walked in the parking lot of Kampala’s Darkhana after morning JK, imagining endlessly of a day when he would just travel the world. The kid who was just stubborn enough to not give up on his dream. The kid who had (and still has) faith in Him who is above all else.
We make choices about our life based on what our friends, family, partner, boss want but, do we ever consider what we want? Do we CARE about ME? What is my dream? Well, this kid, he does!
This picture is of that kid who dared to dream, hasn’t and won’t give up on it, till his last breath.
Everyone has a story, everyone; try to listen in...
Peace!
Champ!
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