By: Kirsten Ilajas

The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans wafted around the living space. The steam of the boiling water made little fog clouds as I poured from the gooseneck kettle. The water submerged the ground beans suspended on the filter paper, and then very slowly, the coffee drips into the decanter, creating ripples on the already steaming liquid inside. With my eyes closed, I sipped the hot beverage and tasted the earthy and robust but fruity flavor of the coffee. It transported me to Ethiopia where the beans were produced.

Then I remembered that there were so many places that I’ve meant to visit within the last two years, including Ethiopia. But then again, traveling the world has been suspended for more than a year already.  Goals have been put on hold and even coming home feels like a distant star – a wish I can only pray for at night.

Heartbroken with all these early morning realizations, I finished my coffee, tied my shoelaces, put my earphones on, and – the most important thing – made sure to put my mask on before I went out for a run.

As I ran on the pavements of the cold Marina Walk, the realization of being suspended, of being unable to even go home, of being stuck in the same place for too long, repeatedly played on my mind as I caught my breath with every sprint. Despite the cold, sweat was trickling down my forehead, and I was panting – not just from running or from the caffeine, but from all the thoughts that have raced and disturbed me for a while since the pandemic started.

“What has become of my time here? Too much time has been wasted just waiting for things to be alright and get back to normal, and for what? Will things be ever alright again?”

I had to stop. I held the railings and looked out on to the harbor where yachts passed and docked. I exhaled loudly, and as I did, some seagulls started flapping their wings and flew away from the railings, disturbed by my early sighs.

My musings were disturbed, and I got curious about how these birds have come to appear here. I stood there for quite a while. I was fascinated by all the squawking, the gliding above the water, the fuss, and how they looked so merry despite the gloomy weather.

Eventually, after looking at some articles, I found out that the birds were from Siberia and the Mediterranean region, and they migrate to the UAE during the cold season. They migrate here because in the winter, the Arabian Gulf is much warmer than their places of origin. From where they came from, winter freezes the waters and chills the air, making it hard to find food and breed.

As I researched some more about the magnificent birds, I found what seagulls symbolize in different cultures and spiritual beliefs. Based on some beliefs in the Native American culture, seagulls symbolize adaptability, resourcefulness, and freedom. It is also said that when one dreams about a seagull, the dreamer must consider looking at things from a different perspective and soaring above problems to sort and figure them out.

I watched as they flew over the waters and hovered over the yachts and bridges. I observed the way they stretched their wings and made sure that the timing was right to thrust and launch from the railings. They slowly flapped their wings mid-air and made sure that they rose gracefully into the sky, as if they were kites dancing with the wind.

For a while there, I envied those seagulls and dreamed of being one of them. They soar the skies freely, not caring about anything else but flying and getting to the places that they want to be in –indeed, they are symbols of freedom and being in the moment – I wish I was more like them.

Then, I was also reminded about what it meant to see seagulls in a dream: “The dreamer needs to look at things differently.”

Imagine that we are part of the flock in the freezing winter months somewhere in Siberia or in the Mediterranean. The cold would almost freeze our wings, and we’d struggle to fly through the cold, thick air of home. Despite the agonizing trip, we know that somewhere out there, the water is warmer, so we must go on and live.

 In order to continue living, we need to keep on looking for places or things that would inspire us to go on, like how the seagulls are driven here by the slightly warmer waters and weather.

We may not be able to go to different places yet, but appreciating and using things that are within our reach might help us in finding new inspiration. These can be simple things, such as the taste of coffee from different places, the stories of diverse cultures found in books or on the internet, the virtual museum tours, and the prospect of making connections and meeting new people from across the globe through video messaging or calling. We can also start bolstering talents, heightening other senses, training our bodies to be fit for traveling and exploring, or even just plain resting from the usual busy, fully-booked lives we live, which could help us prepare to launch into different versions of ourselves.

Sometimes, it also pays to stop – to rest our wings once in a while and realize that there are too many beautiful things to be excited about around us, as well as to be resourceful and to find life and happiness at where we are. Despite the cold and the bleak times, there are things to be grateful for – things to continue waking up for.

The seagulls may not be home until the winter ends on the other side of the globe, but here in this harbor, they have managed to be at home, to still fly gracefully, to be merry – to live.

I hope we see this, too. We may be thousands of miles away from home or very far from the goals we’ve set in the beginning. But I hope we do not forget that life is where we are, and where we are is where we should be.