Travel has always been about more than just the places I visit-it’s about the people I meet and the connections forged. But no journey has illustrated this more vividly than this trip to India, where I witnessed the wedding of a friend I met at university-a British Indian marrying his Welsh best friend in the small town of Gandevi.
The trip was an eye-opener, revealing how easily we let borders, myths, and beliefs divide us, despite the common threads that bind us all as humans. People are just people.
The journey began in Pakistan, a country that many view with skepticism or fear, especially those of us from different religious backgrounds. I flew into Pakistan, curious and admittedly a bit apprehensive. But what I encountered was nothing short of extraordinary. The people I met showed me nothing but kindness and warmth, welcoming me into their lives as if I were a long-lost brother. Despite my Barbadian background, they accepted me with open arms, offering their love and hospitality without hesitation. i can still the words “morning brother’ in my head as I type.
What struck me most was how similar we were, despite our different ethnic backgrounds. Our skin color was the same, and our shared humanity was undeniable. a single family living on a floating rock in the middle of space. As I explored Pakistan, I couldn’t help but marvel at how easily we let ourselves be divided by artificial boundaries-borders drawn by colonial powers generations ago that now separate nations, beliefs, and people who, in many ways, are so much alike.
This feeling of unity was only amplified when I crossed the Wagah border into India. It was an utterly surreal experience, standing on one side of an arbitrary line and seeing Islam on one side and Hinduism and Sikhism on the other, separated by nothing more than a few inches of a painted line. The contrast was striking, but it also felt artificial, a reminder of how thin the lines are that we use to divide ourselves.
From there, I embarked on a journey through India, traveling by train from the north tip to the beaches of the southen toe of the subcontinent. Along the way, I met people from all walks of life, each with their own stories, struggles, and joys. The diversity of India was overwhelming, yet everywhere I went, I was greeted with kindness and generosity. It was a powerful reminder that, at our core, we are all the same-human beings seeking connection, understanding, and love. i do not understand how or why i am so lucky to have this freedom based purely of where the doctor cut my umbilical cord and freed me in to this world fro my mother.
When I finally arrived in Gandevi, for my friend’s wedding, I was treated like royalty. The warmth and hospitality of the people there left me humbled and deeply moved. It was a celebration not just of love between two people, but of the ties that bind us all, regardless of where we come from or what we believe. i know this first hand from my our mixed (English-Barbadian) background.
This journey was a profound reminder of the beauty of human connection and the importance of breaking down the barriers that divide us. Whether in Pakistan, India, or anywhere else in the world, we are all part of one human family. And when we choose to see each other as brothers and sisters rather than strangers or enemies, we unlock the true potential of our shared humanity.