“Traveling makes you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller,” said Ibn Battuta, a great traveler in the 14th century. He spent nearly 30 years traveling some 75,000 miles across Africa, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. When I was young, I vaguely remember thinking to myself that I would one day go to a place that no one else had ever gone to before. However, as I grew, I realized that there was a lot to experience just where I am. Anyone I told that my lifelong dream was to travel, whether at school, or in my community, would shake their head and tell me that I was too young to understand life. At that moment, all I could do was nod and hide my displeasure. But I knew that the flame that I had would not be put out no matter what. In 2021, I made my first trip to another district, Musanze. It seemed like a good start. I had never been out of Kigali on my own before that, and the place called to me. Everyone has been saying that Musanze is like Kigali in the north, I needed to see for myself. After that, in 2021, I made a plan to visit at least one district in each province. Since April 2021, I have been able to visit Musanze, Rubavu, Karongi, Butare, and Rwamagana. I have my own proof that dreams of traveling are not all nonsense. It is workable. Young adults who have low budgets but still want to explore the world can still do this! They can travel with tour companies, hiking groups, or on their own! Since the launch of Visit Rwanda, it seemed that more Rwandans were willing to visit the beautiful scenery of their own beloved country. Many have been more interested in visiting the national parks, the volcanoes, wetlands, forests, lakes, and biodiversity. Fortunately for the youth on a tight budget with classes to attend, more tour companies have opened up with prices that are affordable and legitimate, starting at 25,000 rwf.It seems to cover things. For sporty people, hiking is a great option for traveling. I personally am a great fan of sports, but I hadn’t thought that people hiked in Rwanda as well. I was fortunate enough to find a group of people called Tourism Lovers that operate here in Rwanda, especially Kigali. For the times that I study intensively, I am able to join other hikers on Saturday or Sunday morning with a guiding fee of 2000 rwf. Traveling might seem like a luxurious thing that is only afforded by people with big paychecks, but I would beg to differ. We are fortunate enough that Rwanda is a safe country. I can vouch that a young person can travel and stay in a place safely. The best travel is not made with a private car and private guides only. It is only a matter of mindset. There are many reasons why traveling is worth anyone’s time. It is a great way to explore the details of our environment, a great way to meet people with different perspectives on life and other matters, a place where one can make great connections and friendships, and lastly, it is a good way to refresh while enriching your life. Despite the greatness of traveling and exploration, one must stay aware of the dangers as well. It is not at all flowery. I have been stuck in traffic jams that lasted hours, I have driven in buses with drunk people, I have been soaked in rain while on hikes in a forest, I have projected a budget only to use double the amount, and many other things that go awry on the field. However, I was able to enjoy every moment. Each experience prepares me for my next adventure. Every time I have a trip, I look forward to it eagerly. My palms sweat, I fidget, and sometimes I feel breathless because that is what anticipation does to a person. It is my utmost wish to travel more often than I do now, see more bats, birds, and mammals of all kinds, smell strange flowers, eat exotic food, meet people that I have never met before, and experience life in other corners of the world as well. As Simon Raven said, life is short and the world is wide. It’s a matter of choice and dedication! The author is a poet
