So in the past few months, I have been doing a lot of traveling majorly as a part of my student life at a grad school in a foreign country.
Traveling as a student is quite different from the well-planned family excursions or the impromptu outings with hometown buddies. From big cities like NYC and Vegas to serene cities of San Diego or Dallas, arriving in a new city is more like meeting a new person. Here are a few similarities I've managed to draw between the two:
1. First meeting is seldom pleasant.
There are certain expectations with which you approach them, and more often than not they turn out to be wayyy different from the image in your head.
For instance, when we landed in New York, all I could feel was my cracking hands due to extreme and thus the welcome was far from warm.
2. You need to make an effort to find your interest
Be it a place or a person, there are multiple facets to their personality and you need to find the niche that interests you. This is the point where the hostile first impression slowly starts to melt away with arm amiable instances.
With people, it could be a common band or a book that interests both. with places, it can be a park that you loves with the lit up trees or a sunset you witnessed on a deck somewhere in the city.
For me, Times Square as the magical place that I'll never forget.
The sunsets of California are also breathtakingly beautiful!
3. You can now trace the familiar spots with shut eyes.
Once you familiarize with a place/person you already can anticipate what comes next, or at least can pick favorite traits of theirs.
You know now that for pleasant experience what is the best time to approach them and where exactly to stoop.
Like I ended up walking around 20 blocks to get to a rooftop, but the view from there was worth the effort! And We visited the same place every evening for three continuous days because we just couldn't get enough of it!
With people, we know what games we enjoy playing together or when we start feeling comfortable with silences or get used to one another's idiosyncrasies.
4. You can't believe you'll miss them
Now that you have grown comfortable in their company, you know you'll miss them. The departures are as difficult as the arrivals.
Every person has a vibe to them so does every place. This is what you learn to adapt in the few days you spend with them and before you know, they have made a place in your heart.
5. Both leave with a souvenir to cherish
Okay, this sounds super philosophical but it's true!
Those crazy poses to laugh on 10 years down the line or the sand bottles from beaches I visited are both of equal value to me!
