It’s been a long time since I got anything to pen down my thoughts on this blog. Over the past few months, my life has changed in almost every direction. After becoming a parent of seven months old boy, life has new priorities now & new tasks that take up my whole day. Being a dad, along with a caring husband, a loving son & perfectionist dentist; there is too much to juggle every day. At the same time my travel plans took a back seat for couple of months. I feel handling a hyper active child is more difficult than any other work. There are times when I feel whole day passes away with the kid without doing anything substantial. Not that I don’t like this father-son bonding thing, but at times I wish if days were longer than just 24 hours. But it’s a New Year & time for new resolutions to make. So here I am, trying to get back to my travel writing with the hope that I’ll be more regular in my travels both online & offline.
There are times throughout my busy daily life when I have a travel flashback or a thought that reminds me of many reasons I love about travel. Such flashback not only brings back the happy memories of my previous travels, but also a yearning to experience more such moments. These are the moments that give me a chance to leave the rat race & enjoy absolute freedom from the daily chores of life.
Here are the things we love about travelling:
Reading a book lying on a chair at the beach – Nothing can beat this combination of good book, Sun, sand & cool ocean waters.
Not knowing what day it is – loosing track of the time & calendar.
Rising with the sun, feeling recharged without the help of alarm clock.
Enjoying the wire-less life – away from cell phone, laptop & all those instant communication devices.
Having fruits & noodles for breakfast – an odd combination, I agree.
Wearing shorts & flip-flops for a lazy stroll in the middle of night on the beach.
The freedom to change my schedule when I wish to.
Swinging in a hammock by the beach drinking coconut water. Nothing beats the feeling of soft sand slipping between your toes as you step onto a new beach
Trying to communicate in another language – even when you know only few words.
Sharing travel stories & experiences with other travelers. Everyone has a story to tell and travelling allows you to meet people literally a world away from what you’re used to.
Chatting with the locals in local transport – the best travel tips you get are from locals.
Attending another culture’s festivals. They’re interesting, often (to me) strange, provoking and always have something to teach.
Learning strange home natural remedies
Having the local beer early morning to chase away bad spirits
Having friends all around the world
Spending a day with someone on the road and becoming friends for life
Not worrying about bills, deadlines, to do lists.
Owning nothing – other than your travel bag & few clothes.
Eating local street food without worrying about gastric troubles. Street food, weird and wonderful fruit, names of dishes you can’t pronounce – it’s all part of the wonder of discovering the world we live in.
Those real cheap beach massages while lying on the hot sand.
Visiting a local’s home & learning about their way of living.
Going to a farm & helping out the locals in their daily work.
Getting cooking lessons.
Overcoming Fears – doing something for the first time & realizing that fear is only a state of mind.
Getting rid of tourist guidebooks & finding your own less touristy things to do & see.
Trying out the local dresses – doing as locals do it.
Early morning beach walks or climbing up the hill just to get a perfect view.
Visiting the local markets & handicrafts store to buy little souvenirs.
Discovering amazing history & culture. Travelling allows you to discover cultures and history that weren’t in your text books or curriculum and I strongly believe that learning is more fun when you’re finding things out for yourself!
Doing things you’d never do back home. Whether it’s hiring a moped, bungee jumping or even just spending time on your own; travelling offers so many exciting opportunities to push you way out of your comfort zone.
The time to reflect, to try, to taste, to explore, to connect, to greet, to feel more alive
Travel misadventures (but only well after!), and laughing in reflection.