The idea for the book "From Where I Stand" came from trips I've taken from my twenties up to today. There's a good amount of stories I've collected from places, people, and experiences that I think are worth writing about and reading, just like this trip to Maldives.
In this book, there are poems about hearing Muslim prayers early in the morning, losing a pair of flip-flops, friends walking by the beach, coming back to a childhood home, and anticipation of a work holiday.
Illustration by Ifrah Fatima
For the last two years, most of us have been deprived of traveling. What emerged were cries of helplessness and desperation because of restrictions, lack, sickness, and death.
Travel has always been a way to keep our souls nourished. But when the pandemic hit, we all had to stay home and care for what matters most - ourselves and our families. Traveling was set aside for a while and rightfully so.
Now that countries are starting to open, everyone seems excited to plan their next, and first in a long time, trip.
I'm still hoping that the next time I travel, there won't be any need for all the checks and controls I went through last May. It wasn't a pleasant experience. It's too expensive, troublesome, and if not necessary, were not worth going through.
I'm sure you have your own tales of travel. I hope you take enough photos, record them on a notebook, or publish them online. One way to relive wonderful memories is to look back to what we were able to capture on those days.
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You may now pre-order the e-book version of From Where I Stand here. It will be delivered to your Kindle, phone, or tablet on December 27, 2021.
Odyssa is the author of Like A New Sun Rising: A Collection of Poems on Love. She also publishes stories in Medium. Be a Medium member by clicking here. To subscribe to her stories by email, click this.