Inspiration, Priority & My Calling!

Travel: Just reading about it, looking at the pictures of the gorgeous and varied landscapes moves me to plan my next trip. Right now, I am reading Shivya's Blog about how she quit her job at 23 and started travelling. It’s an interesting read, not similar to my story, but I bet most of us, stuck in the rut of 9 – 5 jobs, will find it quite appealing.

Its 16th Nov’13, 9:07 pm and I’ve just settled down after a working Saturday. Listening to Enya's Only Time for the past two days. I am hooked onto it. YouTube(d) it after watching Volvo Trucks - The EpicSplit feat ad featuring Van Damme. It’s just so surreal and soothing.

I’ve always wanted to travel. It’s been long since I last traveled; I don’t instantly recall my last trip. It look me almost a minute to realize that I went to Maldives this Sep around my B’day. I wrote a complete log about my experience here. Next, I am planning to go to Hong Kong and Macau, but that’s in December. I still haven’t applied for Visa and nothing including itinerary, clothes etc. are in place.

It’s been a busy week with a working Saturday. We got a number of pitches lined up and I am a part of one. If it all goes well, we (my colleagues and I) might go to Ranthambore next weekend and then attend a colleague’s wedding on the following Monday i.e 25^th Nov’13.

Just Alt+Tab(ed) window to check my blog submission status on IndiBlogger. Yippie! It’s approved! Does that make me an official Blogger? Maybe! If yes, then I am step closer to writing a book someday. #daydreaming.

At times I feel that my feelings and talks about travel are just fake and faff. With all this writing about my past trips and travel in general, do I tick people off? I don’t know and also don’t want to worry about it as all I am trying to do is write honestly about what’s going on in my head. And, incidentally, accidently it’s travel (well! most of the time)

Agreeing to agree with my feeling to not hype or write about travel feels natural sometimes until the next moment when I see a gorgeous picture of some part of the world or read a travel story or see some interesting travel video log, I end up realizing that travel is My ONLY CALLING.

I always beleived that I am a home grown, home happy material. There was no place but home that gave me solace. But thanks to a gentleman (just being a bit kind with my words) who vehemently told me that I would forget about all his bad words and wrongdoings if I were to go on a trip to London tomorrow. A taunt that was meant to show me down and prove me shallow did me a life time of goodness. It showed me MY TRUE CALLLING. I subconsciously realized that if there is anything that can make me forget any freaking pain in the world, it’s Travel!        

The best and first solo trip ever. Andamans hold a very special place on my World Map. 

I don’t crave for huge solitaries that I saw Sachin’s wife wearing on his farewell ceremony. Though they did stand apart and looked particularly huge (Apologies for obsessing about the stones, but I’d rather travel than wear them if I were to choose one between the two) Also, the idea to give Bharat Ratan to Sachin is just appalling to me. Is it some sort of added gratification for superbly talented? I feel he’d been reasonably thanked for all the glory he’s got the country, with his farewell and by the millions addressing him as GOD! Bharat Ratan is just going overboard. What does the award stand for anyway?

So, what inspires or moves me to travel? I don’t know. Would I prefer a well-made house over travel? I don’t know for sure. I would like both, but a lovely house would be nice AFTER a LONG VACATION. After all, I need a nice corner to showcase all my pretty travel pictures with lovely sunsets, beaches and adventures.

What Travel inspires me to do? It inspires me to work hard and even harder. I would love a job with NDTV GoodTimes or something on a similar tangent. Until that happens, I ought to do with my existing job. I ought to do it well(at least try) and keep a positive attitude so that my chances to get a good promotion with a decent appraisal increases proportionately, all while beefing up my monthly paycheck that will further empower me to visit fancier places and plan more trips to explore the world.

Having said that, I love Digital Marketing. If it weren’t for this job, I would have been dead by now. It lets me use my brain, interact with good hearted people and once in a while lets me use my creativity. I think, I would have been feeling stupid and wallowing in self-pity if I were in Fashion. Maybe I am not up to deal with the constant pressure to look good all the freaking time. Or maybe I have just gotten way too cozy in my trek pants, preferring them over a pair of navy blue high-waist cigarette pants paired with a pastel peach cardigan with a knotted neck collar and ¾ bishop sleeves and a goregous pair of sky high heels. 

Thanks to all the turn of events, I now know for the fact that Travel is "My Only Calling" and it enables and motivates me to be a better professional and a better person.

                Listening to Sinead O'Connor - 4th and Vine

Happy Tripping

-          - Rakshita
      
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The People Who Must Travel

Here is a list of 5 Kinds of People who I feel, must travel:

It’s rather interesting that I’ve never met anyone who minds travelling. Some prefer a little less of it while some just want more and more of it; some like it with all the pomp and show while others prefer the rugged roads.  All in all, everybody likes to travel.

{ Date: 9th Nov'13. It’s 11.46 am on a Sunday noon and I am at my parents’ home. Just hogged on a full veg, cumber and paneer sandwich made desi style along with a mug of ginger tea, courtesy the super awesome mom.

It’s rather a blissful Saturday noon after a complete week of workouts (my abs hurt when I cough), effort to help a couple of dear friends, little bit of digital marketing for bread and butter, too much stress on how to promote my own blog and social media pages, little love and piggy bank full of hugs and kisses by bon-bon, brother and my love.}

There are many who are not able to travel because of reasons that I do understand but fail to relate with. In my mind, everyone should make an effort to travel, plan or unplanned beacuse for every 4 times you decide to take a trip, you will end up going at least once. That’s a 25% success rate (not bad eh!)

I beleive all should travel. But of all, here are the few who MUST travel.

1.     People in their 20s: Travel gives a foundation that is so strong that it lets you build your entire life on it. Even if you return all broke, shattered with everything lost on a crazy trip, you will remember it. It will inspire you during the times when you least expect it to.

2.     Single People: When you travel, your chances of getting a good partner (for life or otherwise) increase many fold. The interaction with people from different backgrounds, with different thought processes and cultures gives you clarity about the ideal man or wife with whom you are likely to be the most sane while being completely insane.

 {I got my guy, because I travelled. Inspired by my traveler’s aura (or so he says), he started travelling and then we travelled together and then one fine day we decided to be together. :D }

And if nothing else, it will make you look ‘Awesome’ to everyone around and that’s a nice enough tag to own.

3.     People falling in love or considering to get married: Want to get a good glimpse of the surprises lined up for you if you decide to be with a person your friends, relatives or parents have picked for you? May I suggest a couple of weeks, long trip with a bunch of mixed gender friends to a completely alien place with that person? Keep an open yet observant mind and see the true personality of everyone, especially of the potential partner, unfold.

            

Caution: Any life effecting decision must be taken after the suggested trip.

Note: Better if you go to a place where the cultures don’t match, ideologies are different and where there are good chances for both of you to be out of your comfort zones. You both will get a fair idea about the comfort quotient that you both will share in the most trying and uncomfortable times.

4.     Girls and especially girls: Go! Go! Go! Get out of the house, out of the shadow of the family, the protection of your father, brother and husband, from the insecurities in the heads of the women of your family.  Be on your own if your other friends are not allowed or willing to travel. What will astonish you is the new born respect and admiration that you’ll see for yourself in the eyes of others. It’s my bet that you will be proud of yourself.

 { I still remember my drive to El-Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt amidst the heated revolution of 2012 and feel proud to have seen their independence history being formed with never ending queues of people lined up to vote on the very first day of the first Egyptian Prime Minister’s election. }  

On travelling you’ll either learn to adapt to the situations that might not always be ideal or righteous or to voice your opinion against them in whatever subtle/ strong way you see fit. Travelling will help you develop a perspective, a point of view that will enable you to tell right from wrong.

Further, the more we girls go out the lesser we will be stared upon as a museum piece walking out in the open when all (according to the society), we should be doing is staying in enclosed tiny section of the ultra-protected premise.

If I may say it without upsetting the cultural leaders, sadhus and men and even women of our society; go out in jeans, shorts; go out in skirts and whatever you want. Go out without the veils or hijabs, wear anything you want and step out. Just Step Out! without lowering your sight.

5.     People with Dogs: Travel to know how it feels to be back to the purest form of selfless love. Travel to straighten out your aching and tired limbs with this love on the most comfortable bed in the entire world, i.e. your own bed.

It’s a different high to be back from an exhilarating trip.

Who according to you, must travel? Share your thoughts; I’d like to read them.

      Until the next trip

      -Rakshita

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