So I'm lucky. My job allows me to travel to places and experience things that some people can only dream about. While I don't get to travel on first class or stay at 5-star hotels (in fact, it's the absolute opposite), what I get out of the experience is invaluable. My travels have ranged from the good (I won't say best) to the downright depressing: I've traveled to Europe and experienced the culture there; I've stayed with rural women in India and experienced days with no water or electricity; I've been to the Philippines and East Malaysia (places that I only ever talk about or plan to visit, but has not materialised in my personal life).
In the last two weeks, I've been on 8 flights. And in another two weeks, I'll be off again. The last time, I went to the West. This time it's South Asia: my third time to India. I wasn't really keen to go on this trip, simply because my body is still tired and the connections for this round of travel is simply exhausting!! I'll be spending an obscene amount of hours in the airports; all these just so that I can attend an anniversary celebration for 3 days!! While it is indeed important for me to represent my organisation at this celebration, I can't help but dread the travel. Nevertheless, I have no choice and I just have to suck it up!!
While I complained and garnered sympathy about my "predicament", I came upon this on FB recently (see below)...and suddenly, I had a change of heart.
I realised how lucky I was to be able to travel for free (literally everything is paid for) and gain a whole new dimension of experiences that not many people are lucky enough to enjoy. I realised that I should stop complaining (although I doubt I'll be able to) and accept what's been offered to me. My mum told me that, while I may be complaining now, in years to come, when I look back upon these experiences, I'd tell myself that it was all worth it; and that I would not have changed anything.
You know what? I think she may just be right!
:-)
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