The Wings I Found

Part 1

Growing up without a passport, without any form of documentation that could take me beyond the borders of my hometown, I never imagined that I would be anywhere other than the familiar streets and faces around me. I was often told, "Stretch your legs as wide as my blanket," meaning, stay within your limits, don't let your dreams grow larger than your circumstances. I internalized that believing that my world would always be confined to the small patch of earth I called home. But as a child, I always had a rebellious streak, a part of me that refused to believe that life should be so narrow. I dreamed big, bigger than my circumstances, bigger than the expectations of the world around me. I imagined myself soaring, like a bird without chains, free to explore the world, to go wherever my heart desired.

Life, however, has a strange way of leading us to unexpected places. It has a way of pushing us into situations we never thought we'd encounter, places we never thought we'd go, and experiences that feel almost surreal. Perhaps it's meeting someone who alters the course of your path, discovering a passion you never anticipated, or just finding yourself in a moment where you realize that the life you once dreamed of has quietly, almost imperceptibly, started to unfold.

And so, here I am today, writing these words from my home in the Netherlands, just after returning from my trip to Budapest, a city that once felt so distant, a place that existed only in the stories of others. Now, with my mind still buzzing from the adventure, I find myself looking ahead to my upcoming travels to South Korea and Japan, two destinations that, not long ago, seemed like nothing more than impossible dreams.

As I write this, I am filled with a swirl of emotions. So many mixed feelings that it's hard to even name them. It's like a cocktail of gratitude, disbelief, and wonder, all shaken together. Part of me wishes I could travel back in time to tell the little boy who dreamed of flying, of being free, that his dreams did not only survive but also came true. That the world he imagined was not just a fantasy, but a reality waiting for him. To the child who was told to stay within limits, I would say: You were right to dream big.

At the same time, I can't help but think of the future me. Where will I be in the years to come? What will life look like when I've travelled even further, and experienced even more? What will I have learned, and how will I have grown? What about the people I love, the ones who have been a constant in my life, how will we change, what paths will they follow, and how will we stay connected? There's so much to look forward to, and yet, so much uncertainty about the road ahead.

But perhaps that is part of the beauty of this journey: the unknown. The way life twists and turns in ways we cannot predict. A few years ago, I never could have imagined writing these words from where I am now. And who knows what tomorrow will bring? All I know is that the little me who once dreamed of the skies would be proud to see where his dreams have taken him.

And as I plan my future travels, and my future life, I carry with me the knowledge that dreams, however impossible they may seem at the time, are worth chasing. Because you never know where life will lead you or what it will make possible.