Writing this as part of a writing workshop I had the privilege to be a part of. The exercise was to write something inspired by a favorite song. I struggled a lot with picking a favorite song. Not only there are many, but in these times it’s tough to put a finger on what I am feeling at any moment.

But I am ‘blessed’ with great friends. When I told P about this struggle, he told me, I had already written something similar in the past. Voila! Some blog search later, I had both – a favorite song and the feelings it evoked. I have struggled with belonging and the feeling of home. So as part of this exercise expanded on those thoughts.

The favorite song I picked is Chal diye – by Zeb and Haniya (from Coke Studio Pakistan, season 2)

There is a feeling of belonging to one’s home. And it is this feeling which makes me love traveling.

The tug you feel when you are toward the end of your sojourn. The nausea of eating packaged food, sleeping in hotel beds, or living out of backpacks and suitcases. The anticipation of returning to one’s habitat. And if you are dramatic, in the head, like me, the notion of – will they recognize me? Will they be missing me?

Is this the greatest moment of any journey?

Movement for the sake of movement is sometimes justified and may be needed. But it is the feeling of stability, comfort that we humans appreciate. Or must it be the feeling of acquaintance?

Maybe that is the reason, that in spite of traveling to a dream bay land of everyone around, one feels immense satisfaction returning to the place of horrible and unpredictable weather in the middle of the night. It is no more the adventure of traveling alone at such awkward hours or the excuse of running away from the humdrum, but the comfort of returning without being judged that one learns to value.

Yes! C I love you.

Not out of gratitude for taking care of me for two years without spending a single moment in contemplating about my origins or baggage. Not even for teaching me new ways of tackling life or myself, but for being. Yes for being yourself, without any masks.

Every time I walk any trail along a river/lakeside I will think of your myriad moods. Every time I look at the sky, I will think of how your skies’ colors enchanted and consumed me. Every time I am exposed to boring weather I will think of your chilling winds and the hot currents. Every time I think of home, I will think of you.

We will never be done.

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