We all love to travel. Look at hundreds of graduates’ CVs. You’ll see that travelling is often their top hobby. Travelling associates with exposure, growth, learning, and experiences. I didn’t include travel as a hobby in my CV, but I have a strong passion for it. For me, travel is all about learning or experiencing; there’s no middle ground.
A few years ago, I went to Dubai; a tour operator managed our entire schedule. We were limited in what we could do and how long we could do it. The best part was that we wouldn’t get lost and our drivers would answer all our questions. Awesome!
One of the places I was excited to visit was the palace owned by Sheikh Mahmoud, the ruler of Dubai. I watched a documentary about that place. It covered the ruler, their family, and their lifestyle. I knew I wouldn’t relate to them, but as a dreamer, that palace symbolised success. It was something I could get close to.
The morning we were scheduled to go to the palace was the best morning of the entire tour. And we were not disappointed with the road heading there. The driver talked a lot about how he knew the palace and how many people he had taken there.
Then the external parking to the palace was wow. There was a large empty space between the parking and the entrance gate. Our driver stopped the car and ordered us to drop off and be ready for the tour.
Then he started talking about what we can and cannot do around. Then he said you are on your own and to explore; the furthest you can go is to the police car, which is between us and the gate. I felt shocked and disappointed. I thought we would at least get through the gates.
So I was standing there confused, like this is it? Are they hoping we’ll notice their glory by letting us near the big parking area? But only allowing us to get close to the police cars before we leave? On top of that, we only had thirty minutes at that place, ready to go to the next thing on our tour itinerary.
The best we could do was take some pictures. So I gathered the courage to approach the police cars, and I felt impressed. The police cars were the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons. For those who know me, they understand my love for those cars. Most didn’t know where it started, but it began at that moment.
I snapped as many photos as I could with the G-wagon. I promised myself that one day, I would own one. It would remind me of that trip and my failure to enter the gates of Dubai’s ruler’s palace.
Fast forward a few years later, I was still travelling and this time I was going to the Melia Hotel in Zanzibar. One of the best hotels in the world from Googling and documentaries. This time I was travelling for the pure reason of experiencing it. On our way there, the taxi driver was talking a lot about how he knows Melia.
He talked a lot about how many guests he dropped there. I remembered the driver’s stories from Dubai. I felt suspicious but kept it to myself. This time, I would enter the gates and stay there.
Well, the experience in Melia was pure heaven. Remember the big parking space I talked about when approaching the palace in Dubai? Now in Melia we had to use the golf cart from the reception to our rooms, and between there was a zoo. That is something I know the Dubai palace might be having too.
I know you love to travel. You’ve pictured the disappointment in Dubai and the excitement in Melia. But one of the biggest journeys we undertake daily in life is learning. Most of us learn in a way as if we are entering a gate, but we never enter the house.
You meet someone who helps you learn something new. You find a book and learn something new. You watch YouTube and learn something new. You attend a seminar or take a course and learn something new. You don’t go to the learning house to practise what you learn. You can go through many gates, but you won’t change your life if you can’t enter the house.
I touched the G-Wagon, and it made me want the car even more. Yet, I didn’t feel anything from the palace or its surroundings. I stayed at Melia, and it showed me how different life can be. It inspired me to become wealthy so I can visit more often and stay longer. I talk about Melia in a deeper way than that taxi driver who ended up at the gate.
Next time you learn something, remember you are at the gate of the palace. If something is fascinating and amazing at the gate, it is likely a G-Wagon police car. Imagine what the house of learning will be. Practise what you learn and see how it will transform your life.
Yes, a lot of gates are fascinating; imagine what the houses inside the gates will look like. A lot of concepts and knowledge seem to be practical. Consider the extent of its impact on you with consistent use.
You’ve arrived at the gate. It says to prepare a budget. Work hard to earn income and spend less than you make. Then, invest what’s left. Imagine how your life will change if you actually do that and end up with savings and investments. Picture emergency funds: money working for you instead of you working for it.
You’ve arrived at the gates. Eat healthily, move your body, take breaks, and limit drinking, smoking, and other bad habits. Imagine if you actually do that and you end up fit, active, happy, stronger, and good looking.
You have reached the gates that declare people build good relationships. You need to communicate, compromise, and be honest with the other person. Imagine doing that with the right person. You could gain a best friend, partner, and lover who respects and cares for you. They would be excited to share this life journey with you.
You have already visited a lot of amazing gates; now it’s time to enter. You have learnt a lot of practical things in life; now it is time to put them into action and see how it changes your life.
If you are reading this, I am likely in Melia again.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from suffering.
May you find peace and joy.
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#iThinkSo
Rogers Katuma
Financial Artist, Senior Adventurer, Occasional Storyteller and an Amateur Golfer
