Beyond Horizons: A Journey into the Unknown

Beyond Horizons: A Journey into the Unknown

There are journeys that take us away from our physical homes, and then there are journeys that peel us away from the cocoon of our known selves. The furthest I have ever travelled was not merely measured in miles, but in the widening arc of my imagination, my courage, and my spirit.

I remember the voyage—long, winding, and dotted with unfamiliar landscapes. The train of time seemed to move both faster and slower, as if testing my patience and resolve. Each bend of the road carried me away from comfort and closer to uncertainty. Yet, in that very uncertainty lay the thrill of discovery. I could feel in my bones the truth of T. S. Eliot’s words: “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”

The practical difficulties were plenty. Finances were strained; the air of loneliness often grew heavier than the luggage I carried; and my heart, though brave, often longed for the soothing embrace of familiarity. There were days when the very ground beneath my feet felt alien, when the taste of food carried no echo of home, and when language barriers turned simple conversations into riddles. Yet, every stumbling block became a stepping stone, shaping me into a traveller of not just lands, but of life itself.

Along the journey, I stumbled upon subtle romances—not the loud proclamations of love that novels glorify, but the silent courtesies, the ethical gestures that bloom in human encounters. A stranger who offered guidance in a crowded station, a local who shared food from their basket, a fellow traveller whose eyes carried the warmth of companionship without asking for names. These small romances with humanity stitched a fabric of belonging in foreign lands. It was not the possession of another’s heart, but the recognition of a shared soul.

Philosophically, I learnt that to travel far is to travel deep. The landscapes I crossed—the mountains, seas, and cities—mirrored the landscapes within me: of fear, of longing, of resilience. The further I went, the more I understood that home is not merely a place; it is a state of peace carried in one’s heart. In every sunset that dyed the sky with molten gold, in every temple bell that echoed across valleys, in every silent star-strewn night, I realised that the universe itself was gently whispering: you belong everywhere and nowhere.

And so, the furthest journey became the most intimate one. It was not about reaching a destination marked on a map, but about discovering the vast, untapped horizons within.

Beneath the arch of foreign skies,
I learnt that truth in silence lies,
Each road a verse, each mile a song,
To travel far is to belong.

Beneath strange moons, in lands untold,
I bartered warmth for nights of cold,
Yet every dawn, with crimson hue,
Unveiled a world both strange and new.

The rivers sang of time’s embrace,
The mountains spoke of inner grace,
And in their whispers, soft and deep,
I found the truths I yearned to keep.

The sea may part, the winds may roam,
Yet in my heart I carry home,
Beyond horizons, near or far,
I found myself—a wandering star.