Bintan, Indonesia
A little travel, a little reflection
Age, the great leveler. Why do two-month holidays feel like they last forever when we’re children, but fly by in a flash when we’re adults?! I’ve always wondered. Amongst the many theories for this in academia, here’s one. The mind measures time by the number of new experiences we have, momentous markers in memory that bookmark certain phases in our lives. While childhood and adolescence are peppered with sensory stimuli as we find our feet in the world, such experiences are far fewer when we are older.
True that, I’d say. I have specific markers in my head to track my life, and these served me well till the sensory stimuli started running out. And from that was born a resolution to try and travel, however short, to someplace new every birthday. I have a penchant for escapes throughout the year, but it became important to ink in this particular one. To shake up routine and find a new experience, to pause and reflect, to set goals and anticipate, to look both back and forward, and then do it all again a year later. And it has worked out mighty well so far! This year, I unexpectedly got a month off in March as well, and I regrouped like never before. This was long overdue for my age, and a blessing I’ll forever be grateful for!
Oh, and we went to decadent Bintan. I started out in trepidation, luxury resorts and beaches have their place but they don’t top my getaway list (yet). To my surprise, I eased pretty well into the white sands and pristine blue-green waters. Slow, easy, comfortable, topped off with great food. So is this what slowing down feels like?
Nomadic Wanderlust 