Why I wish to travel, longer and further

~ A wanderlust affected human

2005, Chennai

I‘d just shifted to a new city and was a restless 14 year old with nothing to do on weekends. Always bustling with activity, the idea of going to far-fetched places used to excite me. Reading various books, just added on to the deep rooted desire.

A Friday evening, while walking back from school, a friend of mine suggested “Dude, the MTC(public) buses have an unlimited travel pass for Rs. 30 a day. Just go around & see the city.”

I was hooked. And I did the exact same thing. I would board just any bus from my nearest bus stop. I would often get down in random places and walk around. I’d just explore every nook and cranny that the beautiful green buses would take me to. I got lost a lot of times. The then google maps — Auto walas would come to my rescue ;) I’d eat in roadside shops (They trump gourmet food any day!). Play cricket with random people on the streets. I found this liberating.

And then I fell in love.

2015, Langkawi — This was my first international trip. I started planning this a few months before I eventually landed there. The pictures I’d seen earlier of the place built up a hype. But the photographs were no match to this piece of beauty. Surrounded by lush greenery, pristine beaches and exotic food everywhere, I felt like I’d been teleported straight to paradise.

Jittery & excited, I hired a bike and went across the entire island. Reaching the sky bridge via the cable car (half fearing the cable would snap), parasailing on the beach, island hopping and trekking were experiences of a lifetime.

I felt free-spirited.

On my last evening there, I was musing about life (travel does that to you) chilling on a recliner in Pentai Cenang, one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve seen. All my eyes could see was the white sand and the crystal blue sea. I was lost in a train of thoughts shuttling between my past and my present. But staring at the blue & white beauty (as opposed to my dull Mac screen), gave me some clarity.

I got closure on so many things in my life, just by thinking to myself.

It was sheer bliss. I was at peace.

I thought to myself, I could stare all day. It’s then I realized that I had been doing this for the past ten years. Staring from the seat of a city bus, then. Staring from a recliner now. The joy of traveling took me back to my gawky teenager days.

I usually am a restless person. Fiddling with this. Meddling with that. But travelling is something that helps me get into my zone and think aloud. I can sit for hours together marvelling at a mountain or wondering at a waterfall. I can sit still in the metro station underground and observe the hustle and bustle of people walk by.

Worry about the past or future ceases to exist. The present forms the most amazing moment.

The empty long roads on the highways and the curved roads of the mountains inspire me. They tell me that it is the journey that you enjoy, and that the destination is not everything.

Travelling gets me high. Unlike any highs that I’ve experienced.

I want to go out, again and again. Explore new places. The world is a book and those who haven’t traveled have read only one page, they say. I want to read the entire library and not stop at it.

I’ve seen a lot of people quit their jobs and travel. Far and wide. To dozens of countries. For months and years. Their stories have been amazing. They’ve re- discovered themselves, they claim. But, somehow, that doesn’t appeal to me. Why? I love my career and the people around me a little too much to do it. Just because you like taking breaks, your entire life can’t revolve around it.

So, what next you ask. I’m off to Coorg next week, my third break this year :). Next year, I plan to explore the North-Eastern part of India. I’ve seen pictures of the beautiful hill stations and read about the amazing hospitality of the people. I also want to do a road trip in Vietnam, from Ho Chi Minh city to Hanoi (the parents need some convincing ;) ).

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Book your flight, that’s the toughest part. Plan and re-plan but keep your options open. The best places are the ones that brochures don’t mention. Stay with the locals. Use public transport. Experience the culture. Walk. Try the food. Make new friends. Learn. Enjoy the freedom. Finally, don’t book yourself into one of those fixed itineraries by tour operators. That’s like calling the stars, a glob of gas atoms . It just takes away the beauty. Don’t be a tourist. Be a traveller.

Like Tolkien says — ‘Not all those who wander are lost.’