Although I was born and brought up in England, my parents were originally from Bangladesh and moved to the UK in the 1970s. That meant that at home, life was the traditional ways of Bangladesh, and outside of home I lived a pretty British life. Both were very different, but also very normal to me.
I think my love of travel started by visiting Bangladesh as a kid for summer vacations. It was a time of happiness, freedom, and being welcomed by my family. Another passion of mine is animals and nature, which I also got to experience in Bangladesh in a way that I never would have experienced in England.
My relatives spanned cities, towns, and villages, so I got to enjoy all of them. Wherever you go, you KNOW you are abroad when you’re in Bangladesh. Back when I was a kid, the streets were dusty and busy, rickshaws and ‘baby taxis’ were the standard way of getting around, and people would walk around selling live chickens. It was quite normal to keep your own chickens for eggs and fresh meat.
In the villages, the houses were so old, and I have vague recollections of mud floors?! There were also large ponds and fields, with cows and goats, and wild cats with their kittens that I loved to feed.
All of this is to say that the life I experienced in Bangladesh was very different to my everyday life in England, and somehow, that set me up to be open to enjoying travel and experiencing other cultures. I feel this positive experience and early exposure to different cultures, ways of living, and lifestyles made it easier for me to appreciate and embrace the differences I see when I travel.
As a kid, I would visit Bangladesh every summer or every other summer. As a teen, that became every few years. And after I started studying at University, I barely went at all, mainly because my priority was to explore other countries. The last time I went was in 2018 for a family wedding. It was a fantastic trip where I got to catch up and enjoy celebrations with many relatives. Bangladesh had changed a lot over the years – more modern in a lot of ways. You can read more about that trip to Bangladesh here.
Don’t get me wrong – growing up with two cultures was not all fun and games. Quite often the traditional Bangladeshi way of life clashed with my British way of life, which was very frustrating for me and my parents. But looking back, it was just a part of the journey to becoming who I am today.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to have visited Bangladesh with my family, and to understand where my parents grew up. However, I would never say that Bangladesh is ‘home’. It still feels like a very foreign place to me and I wouldn’t feel confident to go there alone. I do speak some of the language (I grew up speaking a Bangladeshi dialect with my family) but I feel very self-conscious speaking it with strangers. I’m happy to visit but it is very much a ‘vacation’ experience for me.
I have met some British born Bangladeshis who have never visited Bangladesh and don’t speak any of the language. I think it’s a shame they have not had the opportunity to explore their parents’ culture, however, there’s no rule that says you HAVE to get in touch with your parents’ homeland.
I was happy to come across another travel blogger who grew up in a kind of similar situation to me – she was born in England and grew up with an Indian culture. This led her to explore and travel throughout India, so much so that she considers it her second home!
I now consider India my second home and my number one destination; it has given me an identity and a greater appreciation of who I am.
Together, India has shown me rich culture, expecting the unexpected, being patient, living in unity, appreciating the diversity of rich and poor, embracing its varied religions and beliefs and realizing this country has many layers of deep history.
Travels of the World
I think this is a really beautiful result of growing up with a second culture and choosing to explore it further. You can read more at Travels of the World.
It’s normal that many people who are born and raised in one country, with the parental expectations of maintaining the culture of a totally different country, can end up feeling kind of confused. It would be far more simple to be raised with a culture that is consistent with where you are! However, it can also lead to opportunities and experiences that you may have never considered otherwise. If you can’t change it, you might as well embrace it.
