Moments in the Future

While strolling the streets of Instagram, I came across a call for short stories. 150 -200 words short. Not exceeding 1,500 characters kind of short. That should be easy right? Turns out it wasn’t so much. When you do not use a gift, it tends to leave you or be taken from you.

Can I claim the label, writer? Probably not. But I am someone who has always aspired to a greater form of self-expression. To have my scattered or concise thoughts articulated beautifully into a great read is something I see as amazing. If my piece inspires or leads to a call to action, all the better. Words used creatively are so powerful. I know that power. I wasn’t born a wordsmith but with consistency, I know I can become a decent accomplished writer but that’s a story for another day. (*covers face in fake shame)

Anyways, I pushed myself and came up with a good piece. The theme is Stories across Boundaries: Bridging Intercultural gaps and I did a hybrid of fiction and a real personal experience. It just goes to show that if you apply yourself, you’d be surprised what you’re capable of. Submission closes sometime in August and I am happy I didn’t skip the IG post and actually put in some effort. The ginger even got me writing this blog post.

The theme made me think of the different cultures in the world and how limited my exposure is. My education of course has given me the necessary enlightenment and awareness of the diverse cultures around the globe. But I think it is certainly best to experience them and that involves travelling.

Travelling is expensive. Facts. So, I haven’t really been keen. Though I have done a couple of local trips.

2020 was meant to be that year for me. I start off with company-sponsored trips that would then inspire more personal-funded travels. The pandemic changed all that. Since I am not flying out on the company’s bucks and I need to fund it myself, it is harder to plan it all and make that decision. My pockets say I can fund it, but I don’t want to. Yet. But I must because it’s glaring to me that I am no longer comfortable with not knowing what’s out there.

So here is what I am going to do. I will plan at least one trip outside the country this year. Wish it were more but that’s all the planning I think I can do. Speaking this into existence and hope to act on it. If you read this before I do, you can share some tips too.

I’d probably start with a visit to an African country, but I definitely wouldn’t mind the United States or the United Kingdom being my first. That would be cool. For now, I have a generic travel goal- visit a country on all 7 continents. I believe so much in dreams coming true, I’m currently living in one, and knowing this dream is easy peasy makes me feel excited writing this. I am looking forward to the growth that would come with this stage of trying new things. Being able to dream and hope for a beautiful thing is a privilege I am grateful for.

Cheers to a future filled with wonderful moments.