I miss traveling. Oh, I SOO miss traveling!! For me, the journey begins the moment I start packing my bags for a trip. Or probably earlier - perhaps at the point I conceive of the idea of going somewhere. And this is the philosophy I apply to any kind of travel I undertake - work, pleasure, or going back home (even after 23 years in San Francisco it’s comforting to refer to Karachi as home) to Pakistan.

Please bear with me as I divulge my thought process here. Of course, where I’m heading is of the utmost significance (Paris, the 100th time will continue to charm me or returning to Karachi over winter break, because it will always be home) and why I’m going there (the tradition of going to Mexico for spring break in April with Nadir, Isaad and Lyali or for a quick girls trip to LA or returning to New York to settle Isaad at college) matters greatly as well. However, while what I do during my visit is a luxury of sorts, it’s what I subsequently derive from all my experiences that is hands down THE most intoxicating, enriching and satisfying aspect of travel for me.

Prior to any trip, my imagination runs rampant with all the new prospects, people and places that I will encounter. And in some rare cases, the people I may avoid;) The spots that I’ll re-visit in a city I’m somewhat familiar with, the specific meals I will have in my favorite restaurants or discover new restaurants that I’ve been anxiously waiting to try. BTW, I have an ongoing list of new restaurant/bistro/cafe openings in my favorite cities, on my phone, and I keep adding to it!

And then, there’s the thrilling part of going to a new country that I’ve never visited before and exploring it. I love, LOVE going for walks (with Google maps, of course, even though I still get lost) and discovering little alleys and streets or stumbling upon a cafe off the beaten path. Sitting down at that cafe for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and observing people as they stroll by and in particular, asking the local people where they love to eat. Oh, the thrill of that is what I miss most of all!

“Twenty years from now you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” - Mark Twain

The other thing that I find really fulfilling is going to a museum in a new city and moving from gallery to gallery at the museum, absorbing it all as if I have nowhere else to be. However, that doesn’t last long since, inevitably, I have to be somewhere or the other, but these carefree moments, while short-lived, are precious and memorable.

But, my ABSOLUTE favorite thing of all is to experience rain in another country! I know, you would think I would hate getting my blow out ruined, especially while I’m away from Jarr at Oro Salon in San Francisco, but sometimes I surprise myself too:) Obviously, I don’t go stand in the middle of a downpour, but just hearing the sound of raindrops on my window at night in a city that’s not my home is somewhat romantic. It always conjures up images and memories of my childhood. Of times when my sisters and I did indeed stand in the warm rain in Karachi and get soaked by it, which was very much our intention at the time. Also, dressing up in warm, cozy layers - a chunky black turtleneck, jeans that fit just right (ideally Frame or Mother) along with a pair of black boots (leather not suede, of course) and an oversized, camel colored long coat with deep pockets that double as hand warmers is my go to outfit for a rainy dinner, say, in Paris:)

I guess what I’m trying to get across is not so much what I like doing while I’m away, but what I bring back with me when I return home (other than a bit of shopping!) I return enriched with dreams and stories, memories and laughter, new emotions, perspectives and experiences, self-awareness and reflections. And so much more that I’m unable to articulate. And that is why I truly miss traveling!