On a fine Monday morning, I started working in my home office around 9am. Behind my laptop screen is a big window which connects to the view of main road. It helps me distract a little while. I can see cars passing by, public transport buses, people walking, jogging, kids going to school, some cyclists! This morning, I saw a family of 4, couple and 2 boys, all carrying their backpacks, wearing loose T-shirts grey-white colored, colorful shorts and hats. Even sunglasses. Father carrying additional luggage bag. Most importantly everyone was walking light, energetic and fast.
Ofcourse looking at this, one can easily judge that are starting their VACATION!
Huh! Looking at this I started thinking; feels so different that a family who must be staying in a same city for a while, following same old routine are suddenly in verge of changing their role as TOURIST!
Everything just quickly changes when you start your vacation, start being a tourist. You are no longer a manager, tax consultant, engineer, student.. even you are no longer a mother, father (not literally!). You all are equal. When I looked at this family, the way they were walking (fast and energetic), gave me a sense of judgement, that, you forget everything when you are TOURIST.
You no longer carry that baggage, that burden. You no longer worry about what to cook, what to clean, no longer set your alarms. No longer care about getting ready for work. You just keep aside everything. All problems a side and set yourself free. A free bird. A wanderer. An Explorer. If just by being a TOURIST you feel like this, WHY not BE a TOURIST for rest of your life? No matter where you are, what you are doing. Just be a TOURIST in that area and start your enthusiastic journey?
Linked to the same topic, a week before this day, I was talking with my colleague Emily, an American girl working in our office for short time. I asked her , “Hi Emily, whats your weekend plan?“. She said,”No ya, nothing this weekend. I finished exploring Amsterdam area.” On that I was suggesting few possible places she can explore nearby.
Then she asked, “Ohh you recently moved to Aalsmeer right? How is the city? Is there something to visit?“. Aalsmeer, a city in Netherlands, closed to Amsterdam, where I moved. Then I wondered, yes, I moved to this city and I haven’t explored it yet. Ofcourse I explored the basic needy areas like nearby grocery markets, few restaurants next to this grocery markets. That’s it.
So my point is, when you put yourself in shoes of a person who is a manager, tax consultant, engineer, student.. a wife, husband etc. you only focus on your needs in those areas. You just focus on small subject leading to immediate answers. You don’t go a step ahead to EXPLORE new! The unknown becomes the responsibility, the need and not a fun part anymore.
If we start being a TOURIST at office, we would always be curious. We would always want to see more, understand more. We always want to try more. The journey by car, bus, train, cycle towards office will be so fun. We would set ourselves free and not carry any baggage to work. In similar fashion, if we are TOURIST at home, we would explore so many things. We would talk with our families, understand and learn new things about them, cook-clean with so much of fun.
So why not be a TOURIST and give a different angle to the way we see things in our daily life? Why not convert these boring routinely chores to interesting fun TOURISM?
I think this already sounds as exiting to me as I am writing it.
I am definitely willing to be a TOURIST, are you?
Modern Roots 