Occasionally in life, there are those moments of unutterable fulfilment
which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words.
Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.
~ Martin Luther King Jr

The other day, someone forwarded me this winning video of one of its kind global contest held by Lufthansa Passenger Airlines for kids worldwide. The contest named ‘Kids on Board’ involved the kids uploading videos featuring them as in-flight attendants making flight announcements to their fellow passengers.

Have a look at it here:


'Your announcement contest',
The winning video of an eight year old boy from Mumbai’s G. D. Somani Memorial School.
Yashas, a young spectacled boy with starry eyes, aged just 8 years and from my city, Mumbai, aced it, outpacing scores of other enthusiastic children from world over. Guess what? He will soon be flying to one of his chosen European destinations as the prize!

 This video-story reminded me of my own tryst with travel contests and how much they have meant to me in my elfin blogging journey…
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Papa, when will we go here?

 I clearly remember posing this question to my father as we sat watching TV one fine day, many eons ago. I think it was a news broadcast from some international location, I don’t exactly remember which; not that it mattered anyway. The prospect of going to a foreign destination, any foreign destination was a dream I had harboured ever since I had gathered a vague sense of borders, India and others.

 My father assured me with 'one day we will dear' with a striking twinkle in his solemn voice. I was old enough to understand that patience was the undertone here as we couldn't really afford it right now but Papa’s assurance was all I needed to bring a wide smile on my face.

 I might have been around 12 or 13 at this time. I was already fascinated with aeroplanes, more so the ones that flew in the night. Papa, what are those colourful lights in the sky? I had asked him one day pointing to two twinkling lights that kept moving forward like a shooting star. That is an aeroplane dear, they have a long way to cover; they have to reach international lands.

 The on-off moving lights against the canvas of a dark night sky looked magical to my curious little eyes. I was totally fascinated! Oh, how much I wished to be in them.

 Sometimes I waved at them, other times I just blankly stared at them. No one waved back at me of course. But I very well knew, people were in there – flying… going somewhere, coming from somewhere even as I kept my little eyes peered at it from thousands of feet below till the glow of lights was finally lost in sight.

 What a wonderful experience it must be … to fly international! A voice resonated deep within… Would I get in there someday?
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 Who knew? A hope, a dream cherished faintly in my heart would bloom to fruition one day…
It was a dream… a dream to fly international someday… a dream that I once nurtured along with my father… and a dream that I finally realized along with him.


Life has a way of coming full circle in its own unique ways we can hardly fathom, isn't it?


My Yatra Diary… didn't just go international - to Japan that day and again to Melbourne after that, but she went deeper… unearthing precious little things from somewhere within that I can only try and make an effort to appreciate in hindsight today. The thrill of creating the contest posts, the satisfaction of giving my best, the heart-warming appreciation of friends and family and most importantly learning to give my wishes and dreams wings, learning to believe that, YES, with heartfelt determination and hard work, honesty, and good wishes and blessings from friends and family – your dreams can and do come true.

With making what once seemed impractical, real… this little diary of mine funnelled my heart with so many, so many precious experiences gifted through so many beautiful people from all walks of life that whenever I look back at those times, my cup of heart feels eternally richer for life, overflowing with an abundant feeling of gratitude and blessedness that is really very difficult for me to describe or explain in mere symbols called words.
As I sit back and reminisce my own wonderful winning moments coloured in happiness and fulfilment, I wonder if Yashas will have something similar to say one day, a few years down the road. I wonder what feelings he is experiencing right now. Whatever they may be, I wish him the most amazing experience that is to come; one that I hope shall leave him forever richer in experience, and memorable for life.