by JC Aquino

Written in front of a parking lot in a sea of grays, whites, and some reds; facing the vast Mediterranean Sea as the patches of clouds adorn the light blue sky; where the wind is whistling, but the water is so calm it looks like an undulating layer of blue velvet.

There are two Starbucks stores in the Ataturk Airport as part of the options if you want to have a coffee or a light snack while waiting for your next trip.

I’m sure you’ve encountered the diagram about time, money, and energy and how the partitions shift from the time we were young, as we grew up as adults, and eventually as we reach old age. When we are still young, we have all the time and boundless energy, but we don’t have any money. As adults, we have the energy and money, but we really don’t have the time. As we grow and mature as old individuals, we may have the time and money, but we no longer have the energy.

We live in a fast-paced era. The days in the calendar seem to pass just like flying sheets with numbers, and before you know it, another year has gone. We grow up, we go to school, we graduate and pursue a particular passion or career, and as these milestones unfold in our lives, a lot of time has already been consumed.

One time, while I was waiting in front of my boarding gate at Ataturk International Airport en route to my flight to Seoul, I was approached by a Korean lady in her late seventies, and she asked how old I am. I told her I am thirty years old. She smiled and told me how lucky I am to see the world while I am still young. You can see from the wrinkles and laugh lines around her eyes that she had fruitfully lived her years, but she is still longing for more adventures. She told me she went to Istanbul because this is one of her life goals, and she just wishes she did this much earlier when she still had the vigor to travel extensively. Now, she must settle for group trips with other older tourists.

“If I was still around your age, I will be sure to make time and see the world — well, most of it.” She smiled as she tapped my shoulder. Minutes later, we board the plane.

“The Gate” is one of the most widely circulated publications in Turkey. Published monthly in the Turkish and English languages, it reaches a large local and foreign audience. This is also one of the airport magazines you can have for free while in Ataturk Aiport.

That brief conversation taught me a lot of things. It taught me how important time is, because this is something you can never gain back, so you must make good use of it. We all have our goals, and in my opinion, seeing the world from a greater and deeper perspective should be one of them. This is one of the reasons that motivated me and my wife to establish this blog — to share stories and not only let people read them, but also encourage them to experience and live these stories themselves.

We only started traveling in 2013, took it to heart in 2014, and started wanting to see more with each year that passes. The views, lessons, and holistic experience are what traveling is really about. This is The Panoramic Soul — established because travel should not just be a physical experience but a profound and transformative immersion that, if you’ll look closely, touches every fiber of your being.

Don’t wait for the time you’ll be ready or it may never happen at all.

Don’t plan too much because planned journeys often end up as imaginary journeys.

Just do it, and travel while you are able.

Let me remind you that the world is indeed your oyster. You can leave it as it is, put some lime and cheese on it while enjoying a glass of beer or wine, or discover what’s inside and find your own shimmering pearl.