Suddenly our lives are a series of virtual connections. A dystopia. Data is oxygen. Our homes are our new offices. Our kitchens the latest local restaurant. Our fellow housemates become our only tangible social contact. Less noise. No traffic. And in the quiet, we zoom, cast and scroll – transporting ourselves to far-reaching realities through social media, Netflix, and YouTube; to cooking courses in Rome; museum tours in Washington; Disney rides in Orlando; and live safaris in the Kruger National Park. We naturally thrive on adventure, and are now forced to live vicariously through the possibilities of technology.
Our technology has become our conduit to the world beyond our front door, but how magical can that carpet ride be without feeling the wind in your hair? How immersive can your couch safari be without feeling the strain in your neck from staring up at the African night sky, the heat of the boma fire on the palms of your hands, the smell of the bush after the rain, the midnight calls of the lion cutting through the night air, the branches snapping as the elephants emerge just meters away.
This is us. We are human. We evolve, invent, disrupt. But more than anything, we feel. We feel through our senses. We feel through our shared experiences and collective journeys. Kuhamba kubona – travelling opens one’s eyes (Siswati proverb).
We will travel again, and feed our souls by feeding our senses. It’s in our blood. And until technology is able to transport us to this multi-sensory dimension, there’s just nothing like the real thing. We’re ready when you are.
