We all immerse ourselves in some routine or the other whether it is our jobs, college, school, family, or anything else that comprises our day. Amongst all the chaos and daily chores, some things help us realize that experiences are what count the most in life.
And traveling is an experience. It is what gives us moments to cherish.
I couldn’t think of a topic the past two weeks, the fancy term for which is a “writer’s block” :P, and this week I boarded a plane to go see my best friend and I had a topic almost instantaneously!
What is it about traveling that gives us stories to tell?
It immediately exposes us to a new environment, it gives us something to talk about and as human beings we like to talk and communicate. We like sharing experiences or even having them for ourselves so we have something to smile about later in life.
When you're 28000 feet up in the air, the opaque clouds you see (and they’re probably going to disintegrate soon after!) somehow reflect clarity or the road trip you take with your friends helps you see life clearly. It makes you understand what really matters. And music always adds to the experience!
I boarded the plane and almost instantly started playing my all time favorite songs. I felt extremely independent and more importantly, happy. It was my personal experience that I now get to cherish whenever I want. Similarly, every travel is an experience and you will always have the option to look back in time and smile at the stories about packing and unpacking (There is always at least one!), the scrumptious or terrible food you ate, the adventures you embarked upon, the silly instances, the unexpected things that happened on the trip, the people you met and the gorgeous or sketchy places you got to see!
It’s almost like detaching yourself from what you do everyday and entering another world for a bit. And, in my opinion, it is very necessary to travel from time to time. I have had the opportunity to see ten different countries so far (Thank you Manna (mom) and Dadu (dad), I know you’re reading :P) and I have learnt so much from every new visit.
Scotland taught me the existence of politeness and ghosts (yeah, that escalated quickly), while the Dubai Mall helped me realize my intense love for shopping (Well, I already knew that but boy, is that mall huge!). Germany played a significant role in discrediting all the Indian myths about European food being unsuitable to the Indian tongue, #bratwurstisgoodstuff and Austria made me fall in love with Mozart all over again. The US of course has my heart because I always dreamed of studying here and all the places and states I’ve seen so far have given me innumerable memories.
The high of traveling is unsurpassable. What can make you feel better than trying original gelato in a small ice cream store in Rome, or watching the stars from the midst of a cornfield with your partner? What could possibly give you more happiness than discovering yourself? And that happens only when you put yourself in situations and places that you’ve never been in or to (respectively) before. You see a side of yourself that you had kept hidden under the blankets of your comfort zone. Traveling will set you free and you will freakin shiver but I promise you that spine chilling experience is the high you’re looking for and no amount of alcohol or drugs is ever going to bring you that. Woah, look at me hitting two birds with one stone :P
Spend your money on traveling. Eat all the good food you can, while you can. It is going to make you a lot happier in the future when you can count experiences and not the money in your bank. I spent all my savings to get a haircut in New York ‘cause to hell with it, I grew up watching Friends and I want to be able to say I got a fancy hair cut in New York! I also made sure I could stroll around Central Park, which was free! So, sometimes it doesn’t even cost money. Just take a train to somewhere and look at the clear sky. Eat some street food, breathe some fresh air, or polluted air, whatever makes you happy! I grew up in Bombay so pollution feels like home! But do get out, especially out of your daily routine and make the time to travel with the people who matter and sometimes, travel alone.
In the last two years, I have taken so many trips by myself, and all I can say is the inception of most of my best poems laid among those travels. I have found out more about myself through these little moments than the long hours I spend with myself everyday. And I have grown as a person. For example, I became more open to trying all kinds of food. Alligator meat is delicious, whaaat? I also learnt that random stops at lakes and other beautiful water bodies can be inspirational and small candy stores must always be entered! Every trip will teach you something and it could be as little as your love for sugar, or as huge as your biggest passion in life!
So, go ahead and add an experience to your bucket. And of course, enjoy the high ;)
