The best gift my parents have ever given me is the mentality to travel, to see and to explore. With a father born in Hong Kong and a mother who was a nurse in South Africa, during the turbulent years of Apartheid, I often asked myself if my passion for travelling was hereditary. At the age of 16 I announced to my parents that I was taking a “gap year”, to south East Asia, before heading to uni. Never easy when the first child flies the nest but kudos to my Mum who drove me to the airport, told me to stay safe and to enjoy. And that I did. This desire to travel has flourished and is all consuming, I’ve lived in France, the Caribbean and explored so many wonderful corners of the world. I think I embody the notion of itchy feet, unable to stay in one place too long, with the omnipresent need to get on a train, boat or plane for an adventure, even if only for a few days.

This weekend I jumped on the Eurostar “home” from Paris, where I’m currently living. 2.5 hours later and I’m nestled in the English countryside, clean air, no aroma of urine, no need to walk at 70 mph glaring at everyone near me (almost all Parisian stereotypes are true.) My home is a serene place. Cosy, warm and happy. As I snuggled into the sofa, following my mother’s immense roast, and picked up a book, I was taken over by a sense of inner peace, “there is truly no place like home.” Life cannot get much better. It really hit me how inextricably linked my reading and travelling experiences have been.

Ever since I can remember my parents would read me stories at bed time, long car journeys would be filled with the sound of talking books, christmas presents revolved around books or magazines subscriptions. Of all the influential things I’ve read over the years, funny as it may sound, the wonderful inviting world of Narnia always sticks in my mind. It was the first book that truly opened me up to the opportunities in the world around me.

Reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe transported me to a new world. Travelling to other cultures and countries is rather similar, although you go to the airport (and not to a wardrobe cupboard), that first solo voyage is like falling into Narnia. So many new smells, sceneries, animals and foods. Life at its richest. Reading enriched me, making me curious, interested and imaginative. My parents taught me to read, and most importantly, to love to read. Thanks to this ideology, instilled early on, I have explored the beautiful, breathtaking and benevolent world we live in. This ideology has been a gift, it has given me the opportunity to meet, and form friendships, with the most wonderful people from every corner of the earth. I have had unique and life changing experiences and jobs, been challenged and rewarded, and become the person I want to be.

My parents gave me the mentality to question, to explore and to learn from the from world around me. I love my parents for many things but most importantly for encouraging me to read, to grow my imagination, and to prosper my desire to believe and to learn. Giving children the gift of reading will change their lives, their dreams. Reading can challenge our imagination, making us smarter, more engaged and open minded. Thank you Mum and Dad, for everything.

If you would like to share your stories with the world, shoot us an email to yourfriends@noosfeer.com, we’ll be delighted to feature it in Noosfeer Stories.