Wandering Through Pakistan: My Travel Story

November 7th, 2023 - Departure - Also my sister's birthday!

The day started super early for me, my mom, one of my brothers, and my sister. We had to wake up at the crack of dawn to get ready for our flight. I absolutely hate waking up early, but we didn’t have a choice if we wanted to catch our plane!

We got on the airplane around 6 AM (or something close to that time). Honestly, I slept through almost the entire flight, which

was nice because the journey from Houston to Doha, Qatar, was a long 12 hours. After that, we had a massive 9-hour layover in Doha. Surprisingly, the layover went by so fast it barely felt like two hours. I think my exhaustion from the first flight helped time pass quicker.

After what felt like forever, we boarded our second flight, which took us from Doha to Pakistan. The flight was only about 3 hours, but let me tell you—it was nowhere near as comfortable as the first one! The seats were much more cramped, and I could barely stretch out. It was a major downgrade from the roomy seats on the Houston flight.

We finally arrived at our destination around 10 AM on November 9th. By the time we got settled in the house we were staying at, I felt like I had lost two entire days of my life. The jet lag was real—on a whole other level. My sleep schedule was completely wrecked. I found myself sleeping during the day, waking up at night, and having breakfast in the middle of the night for at least a week and a half. It was such a struggle to get back to normal.

And to think, I’m supposed to be here in Pakistan for a year! A WHOLE YEAR—seriously?!

Once I finally adjusted to the time difference and felt more like myself, we started exploring.

One of the first places we visited was the Badshahi Mosque. The mosque itself was absolutely stunning—a true architectural gem. But I had some mixed feelings about the experience. As beautiful as it was, I found it overwhelming dealing with the aggressive begging outside. People were tugging at my mom’s pants and purse, pleading for money. We gave some to a few people, but they kept asking and pulling at us, which crossed a line for me. I understand their need, but the constant grabbing made the experience a bit stressful.

Overall, I’d give the day a solid 7/10, largely thanks to a restaurant we visited for lunch afterward. The restaurant had this amazing view of the mosque, which made it a perfect spot to sit and take in the scenery.

The food, however, was just okay. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant, but my sister swore it was super popular on TikTok with both locals and travelers. I’m not entirely convinced, though—sometimes TikTok hype is just that: hype.

Other than that, we didn’t do much for the rest of November. It was a pretty chill month.

The Month of December

Now, here’s a fun story for you: have you heard of the YouTube channel "Tribal People Try"? Well, I had an unexpected encounter with one of the guys from the channel!

We were heading to a K-pop concert celebrating the friendship between Pakistan and Korea. We left two hours before the concert started because there was a shopping mall nearby that we wanted to explore first. As we wandered around the mall, my mom suddenly recognized one of the guys from "Tribal People Try". She told my sister to go ask if it was really him, but my sister was skeptical. After some back-and-forth, my sister finally

approached him, and to our excitement, it was him! He was super nice and got really excited when we recognized him. The cameraman was with him too, and it looked like they were shooting a video, though I’m not sure if they ever posted it. Meeting him felt like meeting a celebrity! He might actually be famous, now that I think about it.

After that little celebrity moment, we headed to the concert venue. Just to clarify, this wasn’t some huge concert with major K-pop groups like STRAY KIDS or BTS. It was a much smaller event with a cover group from Korea (I completely forgot their name—oops!) and Pakistan’s first K-pop dance cover group, DYNAMITE CREW. The concert was pretty intimate but really fun, and there was even a choreographer from Korea who performed with them. I was low-key wishing my Korean was good enough to talk to her!

Let’s jump ahead to December 23rd—my birthday.

I didn’t have a big birthday bash like I usually do back in the U.S. Instead, I kept it simple. I went to the mall with my neighbor, watched a movie, and grabbed a bite to eat. We ate at this retro-themed restaurant called Big Moe’s Diner, which was styled like a 70s diner—super cute! I ordered a skillet, and the waiter wrote "Happy Birthday" on it, which made my day.

When I got home, my neighbors and family gathered for cupcakes, and I opened a few gifts. It was a low-key but very special day, and I really enjoyed it! Time flew by so fast, though—it felt like the day was over in a blink.

We also took a trip (only about 30 minutes away) to the Wagah Border between Pakistan and India. We went with family and friends, and it was such an interesting experience. We got our faces painted, wore headbands, and I even bought a cool hat and some small Pakistani flags.

I have to admit, India’s side of the border looked much grander compared to Pakistan’s. Their side looked like a huge stadium, while Pakistan’s side felt more like a small baseball field—kind of a letdown. But the border ceremony itself was a blast! They even held this flag-holding challenge where the losing side had to lower their flag. Pakistan won that day, so India had to take their flag down, which was a proud moment for us.

The rest of our 10-month stay was pretty low-key, with most days spent at home. We did visit the mall regularly, but there was one day that stood out to me. I hosted Pakistan’s FIRST K-pop cup sleeve event—a huge personal milestone! Pakistan has a massive BTS fan community, so to celebrate J-Hope’s upcoming birthday, I organized the event.

Over 200 people RSVP’d for the event, but around 150 made it, which is still a great turnout! Some said there was a convention and a cricket match happening on the same day, which is why many canceled at the last minute, but I wasn’t too bothered. Even with 100 people showing up, the event was amazing! There was dancing, people made new friends, and we all had a fantastic time. I’m so thankful to everyone who came out to support!

A couple of months later, Ramadan arrived, and to be honest, it was the most uneventful Ramadan I’ve ever had. We stayed at home the entire time, even during Eid. We eventually went out three days after Eid to celebrate, but it didn’t feel the same.

A few weeks after Ramadan, my cousin came over, and we visited the zoo. (I’m not a fan of zoos, by the way.) The animals were not well taken care of, which was really sad, so we didn’t stay long.

Then came the wedding season—my cousin got married, and we traveled to a place called Baffa for the wedding. The trip was exhausting and freezing cold, but the views were breathtaking! We stayed for a week before heading back home.

BIG NEWS—MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED!

Here are some photos from his wedding day! It was such a whirlwind experience. Everything happened so fast—it was kind of surreal. But still, it was a great celebration and a special moment for our family.

Not long after his wedding, we headed back home. I swear,

everything was happening so quickly—it’s almost funny how fast time flew by.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this (not-so-short) blog update!

Thanks for exploring Pakistan with me! Until next time, keep adventuring! 🌍✈️