The Beginning of the Beginning – Towards Hong Kong
Travelling is the best embodiment of life. It is just as fluid, ever-changing and filled with new flavors. From the very beginning humans have felt an urge to push the horizon and explore the unknown. After millennia of voyages, conquests and expeditions, the modern world is now connected as never before. It has thrown open a whole new realm of possibilities for humans in every corner of the earth. Greater mobility and accessibility has engendered curiosity among everyone to venture out of their homes and seek newness. The lust for seeing a new land and its people drove me to grab the opportunity of seeing Hong Kong as a study abroad experience organized by my alma mater, Arizona State University.
Hong Kong offers the traveler a unique cocktail of cultural and historical heritage combined with its important global position in trade and commerce. It is also supposedly the seafood capital of the world, with consumption reaching up to four times the per capita world average. There also exists breathtaking contrasts between the high-rises and backcountry trails in the nearby islands. I have been excited from day one of the pre-departure orientations to embark on this 16-day mission and come out with a mind-blowing experience. The course is based on policymaking for sustainable urban development. Being one of the densest cities in the world, Hong Kong has its share of problems. Though the whole team will be going in with a problem solving attitude, I will make sure that learning outcomes from this trip will not only be academic/professional but also cultural and epicurean. It is my belief that any traveling experience is incomplete until one meets and interacts with people, learns about their culture and indulges in local cuisines.
As the day of my travel nears, I feel a mixture of excitement and fear. The fear stems from venturing out in an unknown land. But I brush it aside quickly and focus on what lies next. Journeys, especially the long and planned ones, need meticulous preparations; tickets, boarding, food, sites, packing and whatnot. I prefer traveling light, taking only a few changes of clothes and other absolute essentials. It is always advisable to get those things at the travel destination that can be bought cheaply there, instead of hauling everything from home. Having said that, I must point out that keeping lightweight reusable items with oneself is the greenest option for traveling.
After setting up a “high level” committee comprising my parents and I, it was decided that I should travel with two bags at most; a small backpack and a large carry-bag.
Another minor but useful step would be to prep up my mobile phone; I downloaded a comprehensive map and also looked up other apps which could prove to be helpful. Simultaneously, it is equally important to do some extensive reading on Hong Kong and related to-do items. Websites like Lonelyplanet.com are particularly useful for this purpose.
Having taken care of all the preliminary stuff, I like to sit back and contemplate on the travel. It helps me relax and build up the enthusiasm. Traveling is always exciting, but studying abroad at this time of the year means I would miss the advent of monsoons at home. This thought had made me a bit melancholy for the past few days, but today, all of a sudden I got a nice reward. It rained heavily for quite some time accompanied by strong winds. It provided me with the sight I long to see for the entire year. Now I will start my journey with a light and happy heart.