tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post4267676958469044430..comments2024-03-27T15:36:44.737-07:00Comments on Haq's Musings: Silicon Valley Book Launch of A.H. Cemendtaur's "The Green Ibn Battuta"Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-11550215095655972772017-10-05T14:33:49.693-07:002017-10-05T14:33:49.693-07:00"How I travelled to 20 countries in four year..."How I travelled to 20 countries in four years on a #Pakistani passport" #travel #tourism #Pakistan<br /><br />https://www.dawn.com/news/1361478/how-i-travelled-to-20-countries-in-four-years-on-a-pakistani-passport<br /><br />A look into how I overcame social confines and experienced adventures one can only imagine in a lifetime.<br />ANAM HAKEEM<br /><br />Fast forward to 2012, I was living with my parents, working at an ad agency as a copywriter, and my MBA was to be completed in a month. I had never travelled outside Pakistan.<br /><br />My life changed when I found out that a group of students from a course on international retail, along with some teachers, were going to Dubai. I was not taking that course, but a few of my friends and I had previously studied the course with the same teachers. My friends insisted that we go and that it would be fun.<br /><br />Fun? I thought to myself, once again, this would be me asking dad for permission and him saying ‘no’. I would end up sad and angry. I could sense that this idea would not turn out to be fun for me.<br /><br />But then I imagined what it would be like to be in Dubai for five days with zero parental supervision, no need for permissions, and no curfew times. And I’d be getting to wear jeans. It seemed like a dream that could actually come true!<br /><br />Using what I’d learnt from the advertising world, I packaged it to be a very serious, important, safe, and strictly supervised trip and mustered the courage to ask dad.<br /><br />He realised that on this occasion he shouldn’t say no because the tour was related to coursework. Also, because the faculty members would be accompanying us and one of my close friends whom my parents knew well, also got permission to go. Hence, he said yes.<br /><br />I could not believe it. I wrote the biggest lesson of my life down in my diary. Never be afraid to ask, no matter what you think the odds are.<br /><br />Riding the world's fastest roller coaster at Formula Rossa in Abu Dhabi.<br /><br /><br />I was not earning enough at the time and was paying for my MBA, as well as all personal expenses. And so, I planned this Dubai trip on a very, very tight budget.<br /><br />I ate falafels and Burger King only, so I could save money to visit Formula Rossa (Ferrari World) and the top of Burj Khalifa.<br /><br /><br />-----------------<br /><br />I grew more rebellious and one year later, after major arguments with my parents, I left home to be on my own. I had built quite a sizable amount of savings during the past two years, thinking I would use it one day to finally break free and travel.<br /><br />I was turning 27 that year and found out from a friend that on my birthday, the world’s biggest electronic music festival, Tomorrowland, was taking place in Atlanta, Georgia.<br /><br />I decided to take a chance and applied for a US visa.<br /><br />At the embassy, I was questioned thoroughly about my reason to visit the US. I told them I wanted to treat myself to a Tomorrowland ticket for my birthday.<br /><br />They then asked me at length about the festival, the DJs attending, and also expressed amazement at the fact that Pakistanis even know about electronic music. It was a most amusing exchange for both parties.<br /><br />They asked me in detail about the nature of my job, to which I confidently responded by describing what I do and how much I enjoy doing it.<br /><br />I don’t know if it was my lucky day, or if they liked how neatly I had presented my documents but I somehow managed to secure approval for the visa.<br /><br />The lady who had interviewed me told me they had seen many apply for a visa there, but never a girl who wanted it to travel to a music festival.<br /><br />She was fascinated. I was ecstatic. Getting a US visa, with barely any travel history was indeed an unexpected victory.<br /><br />The trip to the US in 2014 was a three-week-long adventure with friends, during which I travelled from California to Vegas to Texas to Atlanta and ended it all in New York.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com