The ultimate dream destination

To travel is to live, they say. It cracks your mind wide open. Living vicariously through people's travel photos on Facebook doesn't count. We all have that one person on our friend's list on Facebook who posts photos of exotic locations that first make you jealous and then ignite a daydream about all the possible vacations you will soon be taking. We are never guaranteed a tomorrow, so you have to enjoy life's experiences now.

And it is important to travel when you are young, I believe. If I hadn't had the opportunities to travel, I would have had a difficult time envisioning life outside my comfortable bubble in €Nepal. When you travel to other countries, you will see that life is about much more than just what surrounds you. You will also realize that there is so much out there and it's just quite not possible for you to experience it all in a single lifetime. But still, one has to try.

Traveling not only leaves you with experiences and memories to last a long time, it also compels you to think about everything that's right or wrong in this world. And occasionally, it shows you just how lovely the world can be. One such learning experience, for me, has been my trip to the United States of America.

While traveling from Washington DC to Syracuse and from Florida to New York, I realized that US is the meeting point of many cultures as people from all over the world are there as students, workers, immigrants, and tourists.

Up until then I had only heard people talk about The White House, Times Square, and Lincoln Memorial among many other places of interest. Seeing them firsthand was a whole new experience in itself. New York took me by surprise. The cost of living is so high in this city that what would otherwise qualify as wealthy elsewhere is barely middle class in New York. No wonder it is known as one of the most expensive cities in the world. However, I must have bumped into a Nepali at almost every bend of the street.

Florida is one of the top tourist destinations in the world and so I felt my trip wouldn't be quite complete without setting foot there. Glorious Florida gave me a chance to finally enjoy the beaches. I had always wondered what it would feel like to live by the sea and now I know. As much as I tried to see everything I could during a month long trip, I could only experience a small fraction of all that it has to offer. Someday, I hope to go back and explore the vast place again and come back with more ideas and experiences.

dhunganasmriti@gmail.com

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