How often do you allow yourself to be completely present and take in everything about a moment you are living? Follow this story and feel the magic brought on by the all beauty in Egypt.

I always heard that traveling is the best teacher, at first i didn’t realise how true that could be. After going abroad with AIESEC, I can tell you that traveling is more than just a good teacher,

it’s a life changing experience.

One of the focuses AIESEC as an organisation has is empowering young people to make a positive impact on society. From my experience, I can say I was one of the many young people that they were able to empower to take action.

I went to Egypt as a volunteer, to become more acquainted with the country, the culture, the people and myself. One of the things that made Egypt so special was how full of surprises it was. The landscapes I came across were completely astounding! I still find it hard to wrap my mind around the fact that you can find a river, a lake or a waterfall in the middle of the desert! Before seeing this for myself, I would describe such sites as unimaginable and unreal.

Not only did I learn about Arab culture, but I also discovered the diversity existing all around. In Egypt, you can find a church, built next to a mosque, built next temple! The country as a whole provides unique opportunities to discover history and be close to old civilisations.

I was grateful to have had the chance to visit great cities and landmarks. Throughout my entire journey I was mesmerised by the beauty of the country. I took my time to breathe every part of the experience in. The generosity of the Egyptian people is something that touched me deeply. Everywhere I went, I was made to feel welcomed as one of their own. Experiencing this, helped me realise how much people can impact your travels. Especially when they take the time to be present with you.

I believe volunteering with AIESEC

is the true definition of becoming a world citizen.

Because of the great experience I had in Egypt, I am sure it won’t be my last time visiting the beautiful country, nor the last time I choose to go abroad and contribute to a bigger purpose.

I realised how we tend to focus more on where we want to go next. what we should do next. what we should say next. We pay attention to these things rather than focusing on the “here and now”. Our attention and energy gets drawn to things that aren’t relevant at the present moment. This experience was a kind reminder that

“It’s not about the destination.

It’s about the journey.”

I traveled, I wandered, I explored. All the while, I was present.

Being present allowed me to feel this experience for what all it was. Sometimes it’s important to remember that we don’t get to relive experiences in this life, so we should do our best to make the most of them while they are happening!

Real traveling takes more than just going somewhere. It takes the conscious decision to be present. Try it next time and see what happens.

Live an experience like this yourself by finding an opportunity on aiesec.org.