Why do you want to
travel?
Why are you
traveling so much?
Is all this
traveling going to enhance your CV?
Traveling alone??
Is anyone paying
you to travel?
You should take your brother along, no?
Oh man, you are
becoming a hippie, aren't you?
A girl? Traveling
alone??
How did your
parents allow this?
Is it safe?
What will you gain
by doing this?
Is this a part of
your Master's Program?
Traveling alone??
Questions, curiosity, disapproval, jealousy, lots of blessings and some awe came my way and so did some chirpy 'I-wish-I-could-join-you' shrieks and some sullen 'her-parents-are-going-to-regret-this'
frowns. When I decided to backpack on my own, I got a variety of reactions from
different people. They included some amusing reactions, some distressing, some frustrating and many
that only made my resolution stronger. As I started traveling, I realized that
answering these questions is a wonderful learning experience. Along with trying
to convey my thoughts to the person questioning me, they give my thoughts a certain clarity.
I've tried to find
the Marathi/Hindi equivalent of backpacking but I haven't been able to find any suitable
word. It is a new concept in our culture and something that is attracting many
youngsters in the country now days. So for those of you who aren't familiar
with the term, let me tell you the basics of it. Backpacking, which is very
common in students in western countries, is different than a conventional
holiday. Backpackers usually travel for a longer time, for longer distances and
keep their budget low. Many travelers prefer this way of traveling because it
is much more a vacation. Getting introduced to new cultures and exploring diverse
places, it is an important experience in a student's life. Getting out
of your comfort zone and searching for something that even you are not sure
about, sound interesting, doesn't it? For me, backpacking is an excellent way to break
conventional barriers and to question the patterns that we follow without ever questioning them.
The first time I
realized I loved traveling was a few years ago. I and my cousin had decided to
travel for a few days just for the sake of it. Just us two girls visiting a few
relatives, a few tourist attractions and roaming around these towns on
a bike while clicking pictures, talking about nothing and everything. It was nothing
out of the ordinary but something that aroused in me a fondness for traveling
independently. Over the years, my love for traveling grew although I hardly
paid any particular attention to it.
However, after
completing my BA in Psychology and exploring the education system for a few
months in Rajasthan, I started looking at traveling from a totally different
perspective. It was so much more than just something that I enjoyed. It was a
way of understanding how the world works, how people think, a way in which I could
decide for myself, without any prejudices gifted by the society. Mark Twain puts it very aptly, “Travel
is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people
need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and
things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all
one's lifetime.”
I realized that
traveling was education. It was an unadulterated form of education that not only
gave me immense freedom but also an opportunity to understand who I am.
I kept reading
about inspiring world leaders who had traveled around the world and had
explored their own countries to unravel the mysteries of their land. Many times
in these journeys, they had stumbled upon simple solutions that had helped the
world in difficult times. Gondavalekar Maharaj, the saint my town is famous for, had traveled the entire Indian subcontinent on foot. And so had many other
spiritual and social reformers in India, I realized.
And so, I decided
to embark on a backpacking trip on my own!
I spent days
fantasizing about my journey. I spoke obsessively to people about
it, I read a lot of blogs and books, I collected maps and travelling
gear. While I was confined to my home due to my ligament surgeries, I got
a lot of time to plan my trip and to decide what exactly I wanted to do. I kept planning a lot of tiny details and I worked hard to save money. I also made
some rules for my trip.
I was going to travel only with the money that I had earned.
I was not going to
stay in hotels. I sat for days sending mails to people I didn't even know, asking them
whether I could stay at their house, digging up old contacts and calling some
friend of my mother's friend's sister's daughter's friend and the likes.
I was going to
document my trip well, take a lot of pictures, write regularly in my diary
and make voice recordings/video clippings whenever I could.
I was going to use
public transport as much as possible.
I was going to
listen more and talk less. Ask a lot of questions to anyone who would be
willing to answer! (I thoroughly enjoyed being a nosy, over inquisitive pursuer!)
I was not going to
carry a smart phone.
I was going to keep
my ears and eyes open, not get lost in thoughts and ignore my surroundings
completely.
I was not going to
let my rules and my schedule restrict me.
I had more than 6 months of time to travel and to develop meaningful
relationships with people I hadn't even met yet. I was going to make valuable
friends, I was going to visit beautiful places, I was going to learn about new
cultures, I was going to meet dancers, musicians, painters and artists! I was
going to meet educators and change makers, people that had worked hard towards
things that they cared about!
It was a exciting
dream that looked within my grasp. And I started working towards it.
I got the chance to
turn a disadvantage into a wonderful opportunity and I took it. At the end of
September this year, I left my house with a backpack, a handbag and a knee
brace. It felt extraordinary. I had made my dream come true! I suddenly felt so
powerful. Taking that bus to Mumbai with my money and my backpack ( that I had
packed and repacked like a thousand times!) was very unshackling.
Plus the joy that I had not
forgotten a single thing at home was unbeatable. Sigh. :P
I've been traveling
for the past one month and intend to keep traveling till June next year. I've
spend a week in the intriguing Mumbai, 15 days exploring the marvelous state of
Goa and a week in the breathtaking but volatile Konkan.
Beaches, Churches,
Temples, Restaurants, Bars, Cruises, Casinos, Cafes, Bookstores, Schools, Factories.
Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, Portuguese, Kannada, French. Dance, Drama, Music,
Architecture. A literature festival. A Fado performance. An art festival.
Culture, Heritage, Religious exchanges, People, Conflicts. The migrants, the
locals.
I spent much of the
last year planning this trip. And honestly after completing part of it, I
have come to realize that this is just a tiny little start to what is going to
be an exceptional adventure.
