Kamal Ghorui
Everyone remembers their first time crossing a border with a passport that still smelled new. The first immigration stamp. The first foreign currency awkwardly counted at the airport, I did that math too. The first moment you realise that you are actually out of the country, and not really home.For some people, it’s a carefully planned Europe trip, for others, it may be one of their dream destination that they have been planning to visit for a long time. But no matter where you went, your first international destination tends to stick, not because it was perfect, but because it was unfamiliar.
Maybe it was Dubai. The default first stamp for many Indians. Clean metros, towering malls, and the comforting presence of butter chicken almost everywhere. You felt foreign, but not too foreign. English worked. Google Maps worked. Life worked. It was international travel, but no hassle to bother you. My first trip was in Singapore, and likewise, there too I didn’t feel the place so foreign. One you have done with one international trip, you realise that those trips don’t have to be expensive or intimidating. I learned that while planning that trip to Singapore. Flight tickets were booked in advance, whereas finding Indian food there wasn’t an issue at all. Bonus points, if you use Uber here in the country, there also booking a cab for outdoors is easy, which make life feel sorted.Read more: 5 things we should never take back from a beach tripThen there are those whose first destination was Europe, often Paris, Rome, or Amsterdam. Romantic expectations, Instagram dreams, and the shock of realising that Europeans also have bad weather, rude people, and overpriced coffee. Somewhere between missing trains and eating supermarket croissants, you learn how to deal with things outside the country. What’s funny is how tiny those first-trip moments feel in hindsight, but how big they felt then. The first time you cleared immigration alone. The panic when you almost forgot to buy an international SIM that would work in that country. The pride of using public transport without help. The fear of doing something wrong, the joy of doing something right, and so much more.
Your first international destination often shapes how you travel later. If it was easy, you travel confidently. If it was messy, you travel prepared. If it was overwhelming, you travel slower. That first trip quietly decides whether you become a checklist traveller, a wanderer, or someone who keeps pushing back travel plans.Read more: 5 national parks in India that are a part of iconic elephant reservesBut, years later, you still remember that first one? You still remember what you wore, what you ate, who you were with, and how unsure you felt, in the best way possible. So now, over to you.Was your first international destination exciting or accidental?Did it meet your expectations — or completely shatter them?Did it make you want to travel more, or scare you into staying closer to home for a while? Share your thoughts in the comments and let us know your next travel plans. Drop the country in the comments.And if you’re feeling generous, tell us why it stayed with you.
