Imagine being handed a time machine but you have to follow one rule and the rule is: you can travel anywhere in history, but can’t stay there forever. What place would it be? Would you choose the old lanes of Varanasi or the glorious fight scenes of gladiators in ancient Rome or would you want to unravel the mysterious pyramids of Egypt or simply return to a favourite childhood vacation memory? Well, the possibilities are endless so choose wisely!For Arnold Schwarzenegger, the answer was not a small trip down memory lane. He would go all out. The actor, former California governor and Terminator star once spoke about the idea of time travel.When asked whether he would want to travel back to 1984, Schwarzenegger suggested going much further back, to the age of the pyramids or the Roman era.“Why limit yourself?” he said before adding, “If I have the chance to time travel, might as well go all out.”It is a playful quote, but for travellers, it carries a deep message: if you are going to explore, don’t be afraid to dream bigger.If time travel were possible, where would you go?
Time Travel (Canva)
Honestly speaking, travel already gives us a version of time travel.Walk through the ancient ruins of Kuldhara in Rajasthan and you are surrounded by roads, temples and houses that witnessed lives hundreds of years ago.Stand before the pyramids of Giza and it becomes easier to imagine the immense civilisation that built them.Wander through the old streets of Japan, explore India’s ancient temples or visit the ruins of Petra, and history suddenly feels less like something you read in a textbook and more like somewhere you have entered.That is perhaps what makes Schwarzenegger’s answer so appealing
Exploring Paris on a bicycle (Facebook)
Rather than choosing one moment or destination or era, he imagined going to some of the most extraordinary periods in human history.And that is exactly the attitude that can make travel more memorable. Don’t just see a destination, be a part of its story.Travelling with curiosityA visit to Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. becomes more interesting when you learn it is the oldest national park. A trip to Egypt becomes richer when you understand the engineering behind the pyramids.In India, walking through the ruins of Hampi, exploring the forts of Rajasthan or visiting the ancient caves of Ajanta and Ellora can feel like stepping between different chapters of history.Instead of asking, “What should I see?”, ask, “What story happened here?”The Schwarzenegger connection to time travelSchwarzenegger’s fascination with time travel is hardly surprising. His most iconic character, the Terminator, is at the centre of one of cinema’s best-known time-travel stories.Years later, Schwarzenegger reflected on the appeal of time travel and said people were fascinated by the possibility of moving through different periods of history.Seeing is believing
Egypt
The pyramids. Varanasi’s old ghats. Ancient cities. The worlds that existed long before modern tourism, airports and smartphones.Travel is our closest thing to a time machineOf course, nobody can actually travel thousands of years into the past. But travellers can get surprisingly close.Historic cities preserve old streets. Museums protect objects that belonged to people from distant eras. Archaeological sites reveal how ancient societies lived. Traditional villages preserve crafts, food and customs that have survived for generations.Even food is a form of time travelImagine relishing a traditional Mughlai dish in Lucknow’s old restaurants. The dish’s origin can tell you so much about the bygone era, migration, agriculture and culture. Staying in an old neighbourhood rather than a modern business district can reveal how a city evolved.The lesson for today’s travellerThere is another way to read Schwarzenegger’s words.
Arnold
“Go all out” does not necessarily mean spending more money, travelling farther or ticking off more countries.It can simply mean being fully present wherever you are.Take the longer walking route. Wake up for sunrise. Talk to a local. Visit the small museum. Try the unfamiliar food. Learn a few words of the local language. Put the phone away for an hour and actually look around.Because unlike Schwarzenegger’s imaginary time machine, real travel comes with one limitation: you cannot rewind it.A missed sunset cannot be experienced again in exactly the same way. A spontaneous conversation cannot be recreated. A childhood destination may look completely different when you return years later.That is what makes travel precious.
