On experiences
It's been a couple of weeks since me and my friends went to Goa for our graduation trip. As time passes like wind in a desert, it takes with it grains of sand that were memories of manufactured experiences.
Unique experiences are highly valued on social media platforms. Hence, opportunists have found a way to sell what is free: authentic experience, which when purchased, give an individual bragging rights over the internet.
Sunsets at the Ozran beach in Goa are free. Nothing beats watching the waves at the beach with the boys and a beer in your hand. Yet, the beach is surrounded by the presence of places called 'sundowners'. They take these free sunsets, and package it with mediocre drinks and commoditise it.
They curate an experience for you. The tacky EDM remixes, the intentional decor intended to signal how bohemian their place is and a few corners in the space that are created just for a good picture. All of it, accessible to you as long as you buy their expensive cocktails and mediocre food.
On the contrary, authentic experiences, are more often than not, simpler and they imprint on your mind and soul. They become what we call core memories, while these packaged experiences stay in our instagram highlights and are washed away from our soul by the wind of time.
As I look back, the memories that I bought seem to be disappearing already; whilst walking, sharing a beer and playing football with my friends on the beach, collective disappointment at the food, and most importantly, the conversations will always be a part of me.
This trip has made me feel a lot more content with myself. I do not feel the need to rush and buy the newest product out there. My relationship with ambition seems to have changed as my desire for materialism has decreased.
I no longer aspire to accumulate more stuff, instead, accumulate as many authentic experiences as I can. And good for me, most of them are free :)