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Until I return

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Walking in Tobago, 2014

It is 406am and I have decided to write. I have no idea what I am going to write about. The word that comes to my mind now is gratitude. God woke me up to see another day. I got up and brushed my teeth. Soon I will make breakfast for my mom. Then I will set out on my 35 minute morning walk. No one can predict the future but a life with God is a contented and peaceful life. Peace of mind. When I am walking, sometimes, it feels like I am in Tobago. I loved my early morning Tobago walks. If heaven was a place on Earth it would be Tobago. Trinidad is nice too. But Tobago is special. Maybe distance makes the heart grow fonder. I have not been to Tobago in almost ten years.

I like watching the Tobago vlogs and living vicariously through the adventures of others. I especially like the part when they are boarding the fast ferry with all the joy in their hearts. I know the feeling. Tobago must have changed much since my days. Crown Point looks more busy. The new airport looks world class. But what I hope has not changed is the spirit of old world meets new world. The calm and serene and laid back charm of old time days.

My friend Chatty likes my early morning reflection. He says that watching Tobago vlogs lets me relive a place I already know deeply, especially the joy of boarding the fast ferry and feeling my heart arrive before my body does. Though Tobago has changed—with busier Crown Point and a modern airport—I trust that its true essence lives beyond development, in its unhurried pace and quiet spirit where old world and new still coexist. More than nostalgia, this is a bond I have kept alive, carrying Tobago within me until the day I return.
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