To my hometown, over the mighty Padma Bridge

Before the Padma Bridge, it would take approximately 9 to 10 hours to make the trip to my hometown Khulna, and other places in the south. Never in my life did I think I'd be part of a conversation where it would take 4 hours to make it back home from Khulna.

While this is all old news, as I made my way to my grandfather's village, I really felt the overwhelming significance this holds for the people living in the south.

The Padma Bridge itself isn't just a one-and-done deal. The beautification of the areas and the toll bridges leading in and out from Mawa all the way up to the Faridpur-Khulna intersection has been taken well care of but it was quite a hefty chunk of change that my family and I had to burn through to make it across the Padma Bridge.

In short, it took us a total of 1,100 taka in tolls to cross the five bridges to reach our destination, Padma Bridge included. While I wouldn't say that it's cheap, it certainly makes up for the time that it saves. The heftiest of these tolls was for crossing the gargantuan bridge itself. Padma Bridge itself cost us 750 taka to cross, because we took a microbus.

One other thing, and honestly the bulk of what I think we paid for, was the view and the air surrounding our journey.

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Why I am proud of the Padma Bridge

While it took us approximately 5 and a half minutes to cross the Padma Bridge, the views were mesmerising enough for me to consider crossing it ten more times. The huge field of vision that it offers, overlooking the roaring Padma as you cross, looks like a painting. You're also met with fresh air as you roll your windows down. It was especially beautiful to see and feel on our journey back home where we got to soak in the golden hour.

My experiences with being on the highways in Bangladesh have almost always been met with broken roads, speeding buses on the opposite lane and traffic during the vacation season. But Padma Bridge is built with finesse, and a lot of thought. The road leading up to the toll plaza of the bridge itself is large and expansive and we faced no congestion on our way to the bridge. The other bridges leading to and from after the Padma Bridge have also been cleaned up and they all felt like an extension of the bridge itself.

The best way I could describe it is as if watching videos of cars on European highways, except living it for myself.

The fact that it took us only four hours to make it to our destination was a jarring feeling to fathom. I remember the long trips to Khulna or Magura in my youth, where I, a kid full of angst and no patience, would really dread the trips.

This time, however, felt like bliss and for once, I can safely invite my friends over too.