Cities are always appealing to me; and it is no secret that I harbor this deep interest and connection to major cities around the world. It must be the vibrant lifestyle; the bustling atmosphere and simply, the availability of the modern facilities and infrastructure that makes me feel just quite at home.

If you are guessing that I hail from the city myself, you hit the nail on the head.

I am a proud city girl and I have lived in the city all my life; and in the most populous and cosmopolitan breed of them all – the very capital city of the country itself.

Having been raised in the city, I never thought much of the hectic lifestyle which has been part of the norm in my life until I traveled to other states; or rather, the little towns and villages on the outskirts of the country and even overseas.

I am not a snob; it was not my intention to belittle any place outside the city where I lived and grew up in but rather, it is a matter of perspective and that insight gained when we look beyond the doors and windows we are enclosed in.

There is always truth to the ode or saying, “living under a nutshell” and it is applicable when one has never stepped outside the comforts of their own confined space to look at the outside world.

It does not necessarily refers purely to the comparison of one’s home versus the outside, but in general, even at work or anything beyond our daily routine that we have grown so accustomed and comfortable with.  We are all like that; routines can grow on us and while some are always ready to take that leap and bold move to explore, there are also those who prefer to stay on their own turfs where it always feel safe and comfortable.

There is no right or wrong; again, it is all about perspective and one’s very own choice.

(I have always said that it is all about the choices we make that determine our directions and fates in our lives. No one else can dictate how we live, but ourselves).

The vast differences between the world we are familiar with and the ones out there are just huge and amazing. While there is no place like home, there is also that wide realm of possibilities out there that just stare right back at us in the face; screaming for our attention and just calling for us to step outside our comfort zone. It is all about the cultural differences and that paradigm shifts happening everywhere.

All one need to do is to take that first step to explore.

That, is the very reason travel and globetrotting always make it to everyone’s (yes, I am pretty sure about this) bucket list.

Travel has been taking the centre stage with the birth of this conceptual logic, where everyone is eager to go beyond their comfort zones and just see the world.

Travel is not just about going places or ticking off that list of destinations, but it is about expanding one’s mind to look at the world in a different manner. It is about learning and adding to that bucket list of knowledge about the works of the world.

It is all about opening one’s eyes, and one’s mind to the many more lives and ways besides our own.

Travel is not about going overseas alone, but even within our very country or neighborhood and workspace, there is also that option to just travel to another person’s zone to just see and understand how they work.

Are we fully aware of all that is happening within our neighborhood, or in our very own backyard?

The city that I grew up in could be very different from the city where my parents grew up in, or even my friends who are from other states.

I think I have been very blessed for my parents have long exposed me to this very concept of wanderlust at a very young age.

No, I do not mean taking flights to different countries every year/month.

My parents take the time to bring us out on weekends and we do travel to other states during the holidays. This very effort seemed like a routine at that time, but it has certainly increased that knowledge and made me see things in a very different manner today.

City folks are often touted as snobs; because of the lavish lifestyles (perceivably so, with the influence of mass media) and also their perception and perhaps occasional comparison to the amenities (or the lack thereof) between the places where they came from versus the places they are visiting.

Heaven forbid when they are in extremely remote places where even basic amenities such as water and power supply is an issue; let alone the availability of wireless Internet connection.

However, not everyone from the city are crybabies constantly lamenting about the lack of facilities, for there are also those who are extremely accepting and adventurous when it comes to the new concept of lifestyle. It is all about bridging the gap.

It is not just the city folks who are often in for the cultural shocks when they are exposed to something out of their daily scenes; think skyscrapers, traffic congestion, fast-paced footsteps, and availability of facilities/transportation. The folks from the outskirts and areas away from the cities would be too, when they are thrown into areas where the fresh air, tranquility and peaceful surroundings are no longer part of the picture. It is equally just as shocking for them and there is nothing astonishing about such projection of the impression. It explains perfectly the cultural differences and surprises we get when we travel and see for ourselves the people in other places or from other origins.

The city is where I live in; the place where I grew up in and take all that away, I would definitely and absolutely feel odd.

It is just that attachment, and that familiarity with the whole environment where one grows up.

Cities are just my thing and the very reason for them landing on list of places to travel to.


Do you also enjoy cities as your travel destination, if you hail from the city yourself?