Some of the benefits of travel are obvious. You get to experience a new culture, meet new people, see sights, and see how other communities operate. Upon returning home, you experience a sense of peace and fondness (coupled with a disappointment of returning back to your normal routine) after taking in the beautiful bounty of wonders while on vacation. But these benefits only scratch the surface of a post-vacation transformation. It is quite difficult to put into words, but I only recently discovered that travel can completely revolutionize your mind, body, and soul.

I recently took a trip to London, Glasgow, and Paris for a quick Western European tour for two weeks with my sister. We started in London, then went to Glasgow, back to London, and ended in Paris. Our itinerary was packed; we had a few landmarks that we badly wanted to see and left the rest up to the whims of Google Maps and the ever-so knowledgeable opinions of the locals. What an excellent decision it was. We did everything. Our days consisted of waking up refreshed after a full nights’ sleep, hopping on the train, and going to destination after destination. We went to many of the famous elaborately-built, towering, magnificent royal landmarks in London (there is a stereotype that Americans love old, historic things; I can confirm that this could not be more true) and even found attractions that never crossed our radar in the States. In the middle of our stay in London, we hopped on the cross-country train to Glasgow, narrowly missing it because I wanted to find Platform 9 3/4 (unfortunately, I missed it in order to get to the train on time). In Glasgow, I immediately found a sort of hidden-away Chinese restaurant to eat dinner, that could only be accessed by walking up a set of narrow stairs in an unassuming building. Inside was absolutely gorgeous- the interior mimicked the sea, with a blue-colored ceiling sparsely-lit to resemble sunlight peeking through the water, the walls were covered in numerous square, wooden panes and covered by mini roofs, the lighting was made dim allowing for the red-glass lantern lights throughout the restaurant to light with a warming, welcoming glow. Dining next to us were two older gentlemen, who upon learning that we were from New York City, decided to strike up a conversation. We had a lovely conversation about anything we could think of, from school to politics to life in general and how similar or different the UK and US are. The conversation went so well that two other patrons overheard us and joined, along with the restaurant staff at times. It’s remarkable to know that no matter where you find yourself, the human desires to learn and connect are ubiquitous.

Going to London felt so right, as if we were meant to be there. I marveled at how quickly I adapted. Running errands like going to the supermarket or the cleaners; effortlessly navigating the tube (their subway system); and even finding energetic, entertaining nightlife spots (that were surprisingly void of tourists) all came as second nature to me. But the last day was simply unforgettable: we went to see Burna Boy perform at London Stadium. Words cannot describe the absolute joy, tranquility, peace, happiness, excitement, and even confidence I felt at that concert. It was evening, the sun was high in the sky and beautifully blazing, when we arrived at the insanely massive London Stadium dressed to impress. It was 5 pm and with every inch we walked, my excitement grew exponentially. We arrived at our seats, bought some food to eat, and awaited our favorite Nigerian superstar. There were multiple DJ’s, each one filling the stadium with the sounds of afrobeats, reggae, soca, hip hop, and reggaeton. They hyped up the crowd nonstop and had everyone on their feet dancing and celebrating. The entire stadium was alive with an energy and spirit so unmatched like I have never seen before. Even helicopters circled constantly around the venue. I only found out later on that this was a historic concert, because Burna Boy is the first African artist to completely sell-out London Stadium. A full 80,000 people were there that night. Finally at 8:45 pm, the concert starts and Burna Boy makes his grand entrance, majestically and slowly making his way off a carousel on stage, lit up as if to signal the start of the greatest party ever held. And what a party it was. The entire stadium was filled with people cheering and singing so loudly with all of their hearts as he went through each song of his album Love, Damini. His backup singers not only sang with soul and feeling, but moved with every inch of rhythm you could think of. The band nailed every musical note so effortlessly and so consistently. Burna Boy himself performed like it was the last performance of his life- with every ounce of magnetism, charm, and showmanship. He brought out musical guest after musical guest on stage, surprising the crowd over and over again (I went crazy and nearly lost my voice when Popcaan showed up for the song, “Toni-Ann Singh”). All 80,000 of us were provided with light-up wristbands that had different color combinations synced up to a different song, lighting up the night in waves and bursts of light. The joy I felt was immeasurable. It was entirely surreal. It was the absolute best way to end our time in the UK. The concert ended around 11:30 pm and my sister and I immediately went back to the hotel to pack up and head straight to the airport to catch our 7:30 am flight to Paris. 

Now I must admit, our vacation in Paris wasn’t as great as London. This was my second trip to Paris before and would have rather gone somewhere different, but I was grateful to have the ability to go there nonetheless. It gave me a great opportunity to practice French (after having stopped speaking it for a good 2 years) and to see more local spots that I missed the first time I went. While my sister was excited to see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and other famous landmarks, I was excited to go to the main event: Disneyland Paris. Stepping into Disneyland Paris was like stepping into a luxurious little village in the style of an old Western town. Vivid colors were painted everywhere, classic Disney movie soundtracks played from speakers that rose high and triumphantly above our heads, elaborate artworks of Disney characters old and new decorated every foot of space, and smiles and mouse hats were plastered on everyone’s faces and heads (including ours), respectively. Each section of the park features a theme such as: Frontierland, the old Western mining town where the Seven Dwarfs live, Agrabah where Jasmine and Aladdin live, or the Caribbean where Jack Sparrow sails the Seven Seas, etc. And of course, Sleeping Beauty’s castle was absolutely magnificent. The little kid in me was jumping for joy all day.

Aside from Disneyland, we decided to indulge in a couple of little luxuries (something that I rarely do). We visited an old charming, beauty store called Officine Universelle Buly. The brand, created in 1803, sells water-based perfumes, oils, combs made of acetate, and other beauty products. The store featured elegantly carved wooden frames and glass displays; glass jars with different colored oils, essences, and scents; perfumes and other products covered in gold foil stamps, intricate metal tops, and gorgeous penmanship. Stepping inside the store was treat on its own, let alone testing and buying the products. The employees were so friendly and elegantly dressed in their green and white uniforms. I ended up buying a lovely scent called “Mexican tuberose.” The employee put it in its box, wrapped it up in decorated newspaper, and wrote my name and the name of the scent on the box using an old cursive style of handwriting (she even used a jar of ink and a quill pen). I felt like I had accessed the fountain of youth for which rich people have famously search far and wide.

The next thing we did living in the lap of luxury was to dine at a restaurant called Le Train Bleu. This restaurant was without a doubt the most opulent eatery I have ever visited. The only other place that could rival the absolute grandiosity of this restaurant is the Palace of Versailles. The entire place was covered in gold: the ceiling and walls were covered in intricate and elaborate gold-covered woodwork and the frames of tables had gold metal backings. Between the ceiling panes, detailed paintings and chandeliers with petal-shaped bulbs hung every few feet. The chairs and booths all had blue velvet seats and the employees were all dressed to the nines. The service was also wonderful. The waiters and hosts were all warm and attentive. One of the hosts even gave a lively theater performance in the middle of the restaurants. One of our waiters was so friendly; we all had such a warm conversation and he even agreed to meet us after his shift ended to show us some good local nightlife spots. As for the food, I didn’t enjoy certain things I ate, but other dishes I tried were cooked to perfection. Some were cooked right in front of the diners and tasted absolutely heavenly (I still taste how juicy, tender, and savory the sea bass was). I felt regal. That was the last night of the trip. After the restaurant, we went to local bars and clubs for a bit and headed back to NYC the next day.

Despite my raving reviews, this trip had its fair share of downsides. One of our trains broke down in Scotland. We were stopped in London Heathrow because one of our bags triggered the security alarm. We experienced, unfortunately, rampant harassment from men in Paris. The list goes on. But going on this journey was 100% worth it. It challenged me and left me transformed in more ways than one. My mind felt enhanced. I felt like I honed in on survival skills and absorbed information like a sponge. I navigated my way with public transportation around all 3 cities like a local, despite not having internet access. I was constantly observing people- the way they dressed, talked, behaved. When issues arose, I rolled with the punches, never letting my momentary annoyance and frustration turning into a trip long period of stress and worry. I was constantly thinking and problem solving: where do we go? how much can we afford to do? how do we stay safe? etc. It was as if the engine in my brain was replaced with a faster, more efficient model. The same goes for my body; it felt resilient and alive. Constantly walking and moving worked out every part of my body. My fives senses were frequently engaged, taking in every smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch all 3 cities had to offer. I never at once felt that long-day-of-work level exhaustion, instead I simply felt tired and went to sleep when I needed to. The food I ate also energized me and kept me feeling full without weighing me down (it’s crazy how much sugar is inserted into food in the United States). I felt stronger and felt as if all the organs in my body were functioning on a higher level. Lastly, my soul felt an incomparable peace. Stepping away from all the daily personal and socio-political problems at home, meeting new people and exploring new places, all gave me a sense of wonder that lasted the entire duration of the trip. Even the lack of internet access and mobile data that irked me the first few days of the trip turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I could escape the hellish landscape that is sometimes the internet and focus on what was right in front of me. Aside from a few irritating and unpleasant moments, I felt relaxed, cultured, and even spoiled. My soul felt fulfilled in a way that was almost surreal, almost too good to be true. The desire to find a rich, substantial, meaningful life full of wonder and growth grew bolder and as I grow older, I find it more precious and sacred to hold on to.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter where or when I went. Traveling has become the exercise I didn’t know I needed. Which each new trip I embark on I feel holistically healthy more than ever. Traveling is indeed a privilege, one in which I hope everyone can achieve once in their lifetimes and one that I am extremely grateful to have. But once you have this privilege, cherish it. Cherish it and value it and take advantage of it as much as you can. Each trip is a unique memory. Each trip is a revolution, moving your mind, body, and soul to a higher tier of being. Each trip will give you a workout that you will never forget.