By Charvi in Ottawa
I have lived in five countries over the past two decades. The cities I grew up in are separated by vast seas and oceans, so I am no stranger to air travel. Airports and airplanes were a very special part of my childhood, since they were portals to entirely new worlds with fascinating languages, religions, and cultural norms. As an adult, I still feel a surge of that childlike wonder every time I set foot in an airport. At the same time, I am now in control of my personal travel choices and conscious of the environmental impacts of air travel. I have been experimenting with mindful ways to experience the joys of cosmopolitanism without traveling far from my current home.
Languages
I am fluent in two languages, and I have dabbled in learning the foundations of other languages as I have moved across borders. For example, I could read small Arabic words and recite small Sanskrit poems in elementary school. I have forgotten these ‘third languages’ because I didn’t practice them, but the linguistic curiosity from my childhood years keeps me connected to the wider world even when I am not traveling internationally.
In 2023, when I lived in a city with bilingual English-Spanish signs on public transit, I spent 5-10 minutes on Duolingo every day to learn small Spanish sentences. When I moved to Canada, I switched my Duolingo to French so I could begin to understand some French road signs and product labels. Sometimes, I watch an English movie dubbed in my mother tongue (Hindi), just to enjoy analyzing what was lost (or improved!) in translation. Recently, I have been watching some hilarious Korean dramas with English subtitles – I do not understand Korean at all, but I love watching depictions of starkly different cultural norms when I need a break from my North American lifestyle.
I am not aiming to become a polyglot anytime soon. Being bilingual is sufficient for my professional and personal encounters at this time. Occasionally dabbling in other languages helps me learn new concepts and empathize with different cultures without booking a flight.
Theatres and Libraries
One of the most enlightening classes I have ever taken was AP World History in high school. Mapping the stories of different cultures onto the timeline of human history explained many of my childhood observations growing up in several countries: Why did my ancestors speak certain languages or practice a particular religion? Why are some countries allies and some rivals? How and why have emigration and immigration patterns changed over time?
I don’t have to travel across oceans to marvel at the great stories of human history. Over the past year, I have watched plays about the following topics in the local theatres of my current city, Ottawa: American astronomers in the early 1900s advocating for gender equality, childhood experiences of indigenous elders in Canada, an Agatha Christie murder mystery, ancient Indian mythology, time travel, good neighbors, and a Canadian election. I find that watching these plays sparks the same kinds of questions as AP World History or an international trip would.
I have also borrowed and bought (audio)books that help me stay connected to the rest of the world. I recently finished the memoir of a journalist who reports from the front lines of international conflicts and disasters – On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist by Clarissa Ward. I have enjoyed listening to fantasy audiobooks set in cities where I have studied or worked, such as Boston and New York City. On my nightstand sits a used copy of Lonely Planet’s Guide to Life: Wisdom from the World’s Cultures – I look forward to starting it soon.
Zooming In
We often see bucket lists for the zoomed-out world map – how many of the 195 countries have you visited? I have been exploring bucket lists for the zoomed-in map of my city. How many O-Train stations and local library branches have I visited? Which hiking trails in my 30-km radius do I wish to explore next summer? Which new migratory bird species might I see next spring and fall? Which hidden gems await me? Here are some websites and books that help me compile and organize these local bucket lists: AllTrails, iNaturalist, 111 Places in Ottawa That You Must Not Miss, Ottawa is Not Boring, and Hiking Trails of Ottawa, the National Capital Region, and Beyond.
I look forward to deepening my knowledge of my city’s history and geography by exploring local gems in 2026!
