“What are you escaping from?”

Nothing.

“What are you looking for then?”

Nothing.

The idea of traveling for travel’s sake is difficult for many to understand. The journey, the concept of moving from one place to another, has always been more important to me than actually arriving somewhere. And for me, the best part of any journey is the time I spend alone. It is those times spent sitting on the train in the middle of the raw countryside in central Morocco watching the skinny grass-fed cows that stick with me. Mostly, it is the reflection process that takes place in those moments. Reflecting on the days that past, the people I met, the conversations we had, the memories we created. As well as, pondering on the next few days with the hope of more moving trials, the dream of interesting people, food, experiences, thoughts, ideas, of more chipping away of the shell. Contemplating on my life, my ambitions, the way my brain works, the way this life is supposed to turn out. This is at the heart of why I prefer to travel alone. This world is jam packed with incredible and interesting people and experiences, and I have been blessed to meet and know so many. Read More | Comments

I am not sure how, but about two months ago, I received a letter from a Canadian lobby group (that shall remain unnamed) which started as follows: “British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have all declared multiculturalism to be a failure”. Part of their argument was focused on the rise of religious extremism in the past ten years, and how such extremists are negatively impacting the progress of Western states. The organization was soliciting monetary contributions for ongoing research and policy work.  As one of my friends would say, “I was shocked and offended”. Read More | Comments