Saboor Aly opens up on solo travel, family planning and how she almost got a tattoo

Actor spoke about her experiences and bucket list items

In a recent episode of the Footprints Podcast hosted by Hina Altaf and Syed Ali, actor Saboor Aly shared captivating stories from her global escapades. Alongside her enchanting travel anecdotes, Saboor also touched upon her unique bond with her sister, Sajal Aly, and their mother's cherished childhood tales.

Moreover, the stories their mother shared with them added a touch of nostalgia to their relationship, reminding them of the challenges of travelling with two young children. "My mom used to tell me this story - Sajal and I, we have a one-year age difference - so when we were kids, everyone used to say we were twins," began Saboor.

Elaborating further, she recalled, "Air hostesses used to find us very adorable. One of them would take care of Sajal, and one of them would take care of me. Sajal, because she wouldn't go to anyone's lap, she was quite stubborn, and I, being easygoing, would always go to their lap. So I remember this story that my mom told me, that travelling with two kids with a one-year age difference was quite difficult."

Shedding light on her personal opinion on the whole ordeal, Saboor said, "If I also think about my family planning, I think I should do the solo travelling I want to do now, first. Then it will be much more difficult. It will happen, God willing, but it becomes pretty difficult."

The Parizaad star also spoke about putting in the work, saving up money, and going on a trip, joking about the dollar exchange rate as well. "I went to America alone," recounted Saboor. "I had to save up a lot of money. I had a whole list of things I had to do, and only one thing remained. I could have done it, but I was unsure. It was a tattoo. I was travelling so I thought I'd get a tattoo. It's always on the list but I haven't done it due to some doubt." She then went into detail about her solo trip to California, highlighting how she went to Disneyland on her first day there and lost track of time.

Thinking about the same, she said, "I had a lot of fun, these were things I'd done in my childhood. I thought that when I have kids, I'll have them do similar things on time. When you're there, you're a child again. You go, you have fun, you see the world, and you think how far the world has progressed."

At one point in the podcast, Saboor also highlighted the unique aspect of travelling alone. Having discussed her adventures with people around her, including her husband Ali Ansari, the actor said, "The kind of experience you have when travelling solo, you don't get that when you travel with anyone else." 

One particular question posed to Saboor by Hina revolved around the awareness and knowledge pertaining to travel. "Everyone's nervous the first time, I think," responded the Fitrat star, highlighting the nervousness one feels before embarking upon such an adventure. "But you manage. People are quite helpful here." However, when talking about people abroad, Saboor could not help but point out how the support may not always be extended. She stated, "You have such huge bags, and if the weight exceeds, you have to shift things around. And the weight eventually does end up exceeding the limit when you're coming back."

To this, Hina recalled when her own luggage was overweight, and how she got out of that situation. "I was going to Turkey and my luggage was overweight. I was told to get rid of some stuff. I opened my luggage, took out three jackets and put them on, tied one jacket around my waist, and then I closed my luggage. I said, 'For God's sake, please check this in. After that, I was through."

Saboor also spoke about how the landing is the only part of the journey that truly frightens her a bit. She pointed out how her sister and husband, on the other hand, are scared of flights. Hina heartily agreed, confirming that she, too, is scared of flying.

"I don't like it when people are scared," stated Saboor in response. "They hold your hand and start praying. What has happened? Be easy. Nothing will happen. We'll reach. It's so pointless. I sleep during the journey." The actor and the hosts went on to discuss more about the varying aspects of travelling. Overall, it was heartening to see a group of public figures converse openly about their childhood, personal plans and fears, and bucket list items. 

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