Once Upon a Time?

(Photo taken by me)

There was a time when you couldn't catch me dead wearing shoes like these. My attire consisted of boys cargo pants, baggy sweaters with lizards on them and sneakers covered in a thick crust of mud. My idea of the perfect life was to be independent, single, and travelling the world alone like a true hero. Men were of no concern and women were a mere annoyance most times save the exceptional few. And when I say men, I mean boys, and when I say women I mean girls. As these were the thoughts of a 10 year old. But my, how things have changed...

Except not really.

Save the softening of my cold little girl's heart (which was never cold in the first place, I just liked to pretend it was), the change in outlook on relationships in general - men turned out to be not-so-bad and women eventually grew on me - and the evolved feminine appearance... nothing has really changed. My childhood imagination still lives on, maybe things don't appear in rainbow colours splattered with glitter and fairies, but it still dreams of adventure, heroes, far-off lands and magic-like places. There are days when all I think about for hours are all the undiscovered places I haven't been.

I dream of Ireland. The rolling hills of brilliant green, the crumbling castles, the old country homes, the daunting cliffs... there's a romance about Ireland that I can relate to much better than the kind of romance Paris offers. Of course, I wouldn't complain about visiting Paris either but Ireland reaches my heart in a way that the big city cannot. Maybe it's the people I would hope to encounter, the down-to-earth nature, or the vastness of the countryside I love so much. Ireland has the romantic appeal that draws me but Egypt has the adventure that thrills. There's something mysterious and almost sinister about Egypt. The dark history of the pyramids, the ominous Sphinx, the violence of the Nile, the emptiness of the desert... more than romance I crave adventure. I know Egypt is very over-populated, quite dangerous politically speaking, and over-dug by archaeologists but in my heart of hearts I still hope to find something undiscovered. The Temple of Karnak must still hold a secret or Luxor a hidden gem. Despite Egypt's vastly different religious beliefs (historically speaking) than my own and their ancient tendency of enslaving the Hebrews (my ancestors, I suppose), Egypt holds a special place in my heart. A little girls dream that never faded with time and will always forever exist until completed. But the jungles of the Amazon call my name. The humidity, the overwhelming foliage, the exotic species, it beckons me. I am taunted by the Peruvian textiles, the climb to Machu Picchu, the mountainous landscape and the rare jewellery. I am made restless by the endless options.

If I had my way I'd go to all of those places and more. Ideally I'd hit every possible place I could go. Those are only a few of the destinations I yearn to see. Growing up I never wanted to settle down, have a permanent residence, get married or have children. All I wanted to do was wander the planet and discover the ancient world. Of course, now that I am older I wouldn't mind a house, getting married and maybe even having children - although those aren't a particular desire. But I still want to wander. I still lust over the adventure and unknown. However, I don't want to do it alone.