How exactly do you define that moment when you are at the
peak of a mountain and you want the world to disappear? Why do you go quiet in the middle of the
barren desert and crave for that silence to go on forever? What makes you
forget everything around and just gaze at a stream
flowing in the middle of a forest? To sum it all up, what is it about
travelling that gives you such an intense high, which no amount of natural /
chemical substance can offer?
Last 6 months have been exhilarating on so many levels for
me. October 2014 to April 2015 I’ve been through the mountains, plains and the sea, covering Sikkim,
Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and some parts of Maharashtra. Without
a doubt, each and every place I’ve stepped on has been a delight – quiet different
and unique from the other. However this is not about all the places I’ve
visited individually (maybe I’ll get to that some other time) – it’s about the motivation
behind the ever-growing desire of packing my bags and starting off again!
From every street that I’ve been to, I’ve brought something back
with me – a mental souvenir. Yes, there are always the photographs that help
cherish it all and summarize the journey in all possible angles – yet another
passion of mine. But nothing can replace the silent thoughts in your mind, the
wind that touched your skin and the air you took in while speechlessly staring at the breathtaking view. This is the abstract experience that you take home
with you. Reliving these moments in your mind can make you smile randomly while
stuck in the mad traffic with cars honking all around, can make you regroup
during a stressful encounter at work or can help you phase out an unpleasant
situation. Basically, when things aren’t really going your way, shut yourself
off and take five minutes to go back to that place your mind is madly in love
with. Voila! All the shit is gone – True story!
The journey to a place and exploring that place gives you
time with the most important person in your life - you (yes, in spite of the
fact that you are on a trip with ten other people). It opens up your mind
beyond the mails in your inbox, the ugly chats on Whatsapp, the drama with the
boy / girl you like, the offers in your favourite stores, the deadline that
you’ll surely miss and its aftermath, the grocery shopping – you know how the
list goes. Travelling takes you beyond this list – and you don’t even have to
be philosophical about it. Just take a step and keep walking.
It takes some balance between the usual, routine, business-as-usual
life that you live and the life that keeps you sane – but try taking that trip
you were putting off since forever and test this theory out yourself.
And of course the next time you see me in a corner day-dreaming or smiling
at nothing, you know the reason why. Or maybe not!