A poet shared his article with me.
I was impressed with the article because it came from a very mature and prospective viewpoint. I had to write a response.
I've always viewed the world as my home. I've never felt that anyone should be restricted by artificial borders carved out by wars, colonisation or amicable land divisions. I have always viewed Mother Earth as our home and being born in one country and living in another was never going to stop me from exploring it.
I have already traveled to Egypt, United States, Germany, France etc., nothing too fancy or culturally awakening; just the regular travel destinations that most Europeans do nowadays.
Despite this, I have always taken pride in going on holidays abroad with my parents because I was exposed to something different from what I was used to.
I suppose also coming from South Sudan, a country which is so culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse, I had parents who taught me to have a worldwide view and perspective.
For some time, particularly at university, I wanted to be a nomad.
While desperately trying to get my assignments handed in on time and trying to stay awake during my lectures, I was consistently thinking of what I wanted to do after my degree. One major thing I wanted to do was travel and explore the world.
My desire became so strong, I felt that perhaps my desires were innate because of the fact that my tribe is kind of a nomadic tribe (the Dinka travel to the riverside to create camps during the dry season and have fixed settlements during the rain season). So with this fact, I made that connection; I want to travel the world, wherever is richer in culture, because I'm drawn to that.
So traveling? I want to do it more and more. I'm saving up money on the side. I want it to be a regular thing; travel, return to the family, travel, return to the family.
I have no plans to pack up my things and move for the long-term, but it's a future possibility.
I don't want to just read about the world or watch documentaries about the Savannas of Africa and the icy glaciers of the North Pole. I want to experience it; feel it, see it, touch it, I want to be there.
The world is our oyster.
