If I had one dream, it would be to travel to all the places in the world that I want to see, and then some. When I was younger, the world to me was my home, a flat in Tampines, and the neighbourhood surrounding it. Then it gradually became bigger, to encompass the whole of Singapore, and then parts of Malaysia, Bangkok, and on a school trip, China.
It wasn't until I was 21 that I finally got a chance to travel out of these places, to Hong Kong, which was really amazing to me then, I still remember the trip fondly.
And then, I went on exchange, to Europe, and saw many European cities. And that was where the travel bug really bit me. For the first time in my life I saw cities that I had only read about, the tastes, the smells, the sights and the sounds, they never really leave you. The impression they left on me was indelible.
And once it bites you can never stop exploring. Since then, I've seen the white and red beaches of Greece, the vineyards of France, the colourful minarets of Russian cathedrals, and the vast steppes of the Mongol plains.
And there are so many more places I want to see, and so many more things I want to do. And even as I grow older and more aware that people around me are starting to settle, getting married and having kids, my dreams grow ever bigger. And it frightens me sometimes that there is no end to them. I don't see myself stopping ever. I see myself exploring and seeing more places, and doing that year after year. And somehow, I have a feeling that even when I'm 60, I will still be doing this.
And most people do not understand why I do this. Not even my parents, or my friends. To them it seems strange that I would go to such places alone, and to so many of them. And to that, I reply that I would be very happy to have others travel with me, only that the reality is, not everybody really wants to see the same places I want to see. And even if they do, it is often not easy to coordinate schedules. And time waits for no man.
Sometimes, you get just that one chance to visit a certain place, because if you don't, who knows what life will be like for you next year. Or the year after that. Circumstances change, and it might not be possible for you to go any more. And the last thing I want to be is that guy who is too old to travel, who lives in regret wondering why he did not make that decision to go to a place he really wanted to see.
To me, I live fully believing the motto that you only live once. And in this one life, it is up to you to make all you can out of it. And what you make out of it is really the sum of all the experiences you have.
Someday I will tour the South American continent, trek in the jungles of the Amazon, ride a boat up the rivers, and climb the Andes mountains. Or I could be driving a dune buggy in the sands of the Sahara, driving from Marrakech to Casablanca, wandering through the flea markets in the cooler evenings, strolling into random cafes, smoking shisha and dancing with the Berbers. Or I could be visiting ancient ruins in Turkey, from the ancient city of Ephesus to the Hagia Sophia, then flying to the Goreme valley and taking a hot air balloon over the fairy mountains of Cappadocia.
Or I could be hiding in a little tent somewhere on an ice sheet, watching the Northern lights. And in the day I would dogsled across the icy wilderness. Or I could be stargazing in the MacKenzie basin or in the Waitomo caves of New Zealand, and while doing so I would make a trip to Middle Earth. Or I could be at a beach in the Maldives, or in the middle of the Carribean.
I also want to see wild animals in the safaris of Africa, to watch them majestically running at full stride across the plains. And I want to watch the sun set into the pyramids, casting the sands before them in shadow.
And someday, I really want to see the Middle East. I want to cross the Sinai Peninsular into Saudi Arabia. And then I want to visit Israel, and cross over into Jordan. I want to visit Petra, a rose red city half as old as time. And then somehow I will make it to Iran, of where I have seen nothing but beautiful pictures.
There is just so much to see. Sometimes, I wonder if there will be enough time.