Wonders of the World

 I had a bucket list for places to see in this life. Everybody's list is different and the places they consider wonders of the world. The way I see it, we have wonders all around us, all the time. Our perspective and our viewpoint changes at different points in time. I have observed that what I consider as wonders of this world has kept on changing over time and also according to my circumstances.

I was awestruck when I first saw Grand Canyon in 1998 with few friends. It appeared majestic. I had no idea that such a place exist up until the point you are approaching it. I had not seen a picture or anything about the Grand Canyon till I first saw it with my own eyes. It was really exciting. About four years later, I had another chance to visit and this time with my mother, wife and 9 month old son. All through the drive from Vegas to Grand Canyon, I was telling them, how majestic and big it is and how I felt when I first saw it. When we reached there and we walked up to the rim, I again felt excited, this time for my mother and wife. However, their reaction was not what I expected. I guess, I had built up the expectations a bit too much. After all, it was just a valley cut through by Colorado river over thousands to years. To me also, the excitement or the wonder was not the same as before. There may not be a next time for me to make the same effort to visit.

So wonders of the world are really in the eye of the beholder as well as the passage of time. But, if something ceases to excite us, appear beautiful or appear not worth a visit after a while, is it still a wonder? I have revised my bucket list quite often. The way it stands now is in two parts. I have a list of places to visit and things that I want to do just once. The list is more of a checklist and I would just cross the items as a complete them.

Then there is a second list. It's recurring. I don't want to check off the items. I want to do them in a repeat mode. These are the wonders that do not cease to exist and I am awestruck every time I experience them. I think I can never get bored of seeing a sunrise or a sunset. I would never get tired of counting the ocean waves. I could always listen to the flowing river. I would want to trek to a hill and watch endlessly over the horizon. I could gaze over the clear night sky and wonder what lies beyond. These wonders never cease to exist and are there for me to experience any time. The only thing I wonder is how long will I be able to keep up.