Key Highlights
- Mehboob emphasizes the profound sense of belonging and unity within the GetSetUp community. It's not just about learning; it's about living in the moment, leaving worries behind, and forming a close-knit family.
- He demonstrated an open attitude toward learning, even if singing wasn't his forte. He believes that age should never be a barrier to learning.
- Mehboob reflects on his experiences with GetSetUp, from exploring Portuguese houses in Goa to enjoying Mumbai lunch meets and trips with different groups.
n a world where technology connects us across distances, it's never been easier to discover new experiences and meet like-minded individuals. For Mehboob, a 73-year-old active ager from Mumbai, India, his journey with GetSetUp has been a gateway to a world of adventure and making new friendships.
Before diving further into his GetSetUp adventures, let's get to know Mehboob better. Born and raised in Mumbai, Mehboob spent the prime years of his life working as a procurement manager for a multinational company in Kuwait. He dedicated an impressive 47 years to his career and traveled extensively during his tenure. However, when it was time to bid adieu to the corporate world, he was back in the bustling city of Mumbai, ready to embrace retirement. Mehboob's motivation to join GetSetUp was deeply personal after losing his beloved wife nearly a year ago. While looking for communities to overcome loneliness, he found GetSetUp while browsing through Facebook. Mehboob shares, "I joined GetSetUp because I was feeling lonely. My main reason was to make new friends and travel. I'm alone now, and this is my way of finding companionship." His eagerness to connect with like-minded individuals and explore the world is evident in his enthusiasm for GetSetUp's outings. So far, other than the local meet-ups he has participated in, he has gone on two exciting trips with the group – one to the enchanting beaches of Goa and another to the picturesque Kaas Plateau.
These experiences have left a lasting impact on him, and he describes them as "fun-loving" and a great way to meet "nice people." The camaraderie within these groups was evident as they shared meals, danced together, and captured moments with videos and pictures. Mehboob emphasized that there was "never a dull moment," making each outing memorable. The Goa trip, in particular, he shares, offered unique cultural experiences. The group visited an ancient Goan Portuguese house, which had stood for around 170 years. Exploring the house, its antique furniture, and meeting the owner left an indelible mark on Mehboob. He vividly recalls the experience of wandering through the historic Portuguese lanes, an experience he had never encountered before. What made the trip even more special was the celebration of Mehboob's birthday during the journey. “Incidentally, my birthday was celebrated during that trip. So in different places, I received birthday wishes, and they sang for me on three different occasions, singing 'Happy Birthday.' It was very nice, a lot of fun. I had a great birthday."
The Kaas Plateau outing was equally captivating for Mehboob; he shares, “To tell you frankly, I've seen much more beautiful flowers in my life. That is, when I visited Keukenhof near Amsterdam, it was out of this world. Then, I've also visited Kashmir, and I've seen those flowers. In Japan, I've seen lovely flowers. But in Kaas, I found the flowers are wild, growing wild. They were not planted; they were not planned. And they were mostly mini and microflowers, like a carpet, something amazing.”
When asked about his experience taking classes on GetSetUp, Mehboob shared his candid journey, saying, "I've joined singing classes, but I found that I'm not a good singer. So I gave up. We're all here to learn, as I tell myself. Old monkeys don't learn new tricks. No, there's no limitation. Age is never a barrier to learning. I did join the classes, and I gave up after a month. I will discontinue now or later. I'll see." In his answer for his favorite class, he mentions our community manager Anita's travel sessions, explaining, "Well, I love attending Anita's travel sessions whenever they are conducted. They are fun, and we get to plan and discuss our upcoming fun trips and destinations."
Mehboob's reflection on his GetSetUp experience reflects what we believe in at GetSetUp: empowerment and building connections through community. He shares, "What I've learned is that when we get together in a group, we forget about ourselves. We are living in that moment, for that moment. And we forget about our worries, about whatever we have left behind. It is living for that particular moment. And with those people, that becomes a family. That's something very nice. I like that. And I'm sure the others also must be feeling the same, that it becomes like one big family. We hardly know each other. We have met for the first time, but at the end of the day, when the trip is ending, everybody's sad because they're going to miss each other."
Mehboob’s journey with the platform has been marked by memorable outings, discovering new experiences, and finding new friendships. As Mehboob himself states, "I wanted to meet different people, make more new friends, travel together, and have fun." And with GetSetUp, he has found a vibrant and inclusive community to do just that.
If you too would like to join Mehboob and our community of active agers, WhatsApp Us or download our GetSetUp India App today from the Google Playstore.
