I live in Mumbai, a coastal city by the Arabian Sea. Few times each week, I walk the Bandstand and Carter road promenade, wind in my hair, gazing as the frothy waves lash against the black rocks, and bounce back only to come crashing again, on and on, nonstop for over a million years. As the sun sets over the ocean and the lights fade out, I turn upwards and gaze as millions of stars appear forming a twinkling blanket over the sky. The beauty of nature never seizes to amaze me. It was during one of these awed moments, I was transformed, I became a junkie and realised my hunger to travel and explore the world.
Travel for me is liberating. It takes me beyond passports and visas, walls and boundaries, away from the routine, into distant worlds and new lands. Having lived in the world’s most diverse country all my life, there is a deep need, a desire to go beyond and discover what next.
Travel to me is
- Therapeutic, stretching my limits, exploring a new mystery
- Connecting with people from across the globe and sharing in their lives
- Embracing nature in all its beauty
- Exploring cultures, discovering ways of life
- Experimenting with food, dress, language and festivals
Travel yields more joy that any material gift can ever give. Long after I’m back, when the suitcase is put away, clothes are washed and life gets back to normal the memories continue to linger : the highs from a spontaneous conversation with a stranger in a bar, the giggles from broken sentences in a foreign language, the pleasure of a delicious meal and the awkwardness of holding a map as I find my way in a new town. Solo travel which I absolutely enjoy and would recommend you try at least once, offers me the challenge of facing unknown situations, pushes me beyond boundaries making me rely heavily on common sense and gut instinct. It tests my limits and rewards me with life time memories, that no one can take away. Solo travel forces me to chat up strangers, share a cup of tea with the locals, giving me some of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had. The feeling of connect with an absolute stranger on a beach in Phuket, the joy of discovering an offbeat location in Germany, the thrill of gorging on a delicious and cheap meal in Spain and the excitement of receiving a love letter in the heart of the medina in Morocco gives me a high none else equals.
Travel is a rare opportunity to put life, into the reckless hands of chance. With a life well manicured and planned to the minutest details, it isn’t often that we truly let go, and let destiny sit in the driver’ seat.
Travel forces me to go beyond limitations, making me feel strong and vulnerable at the same time. It gives me the opportunity to marvel at small wonders, giving me unmatched memories. It make me feel alive again!