I have always been fascinated by the idea of travel. As a kid, I remember being jealous of people who were able to go on trips. Fortunately, as I grew up, my education and career made me stay at various different cities across the country. Over the course of last eight years, I have stayed at five different towns and cities - all in different states. It helped me to be able to visit a lot of local spots which one would otherwise never visit. This form of local tourism teaches a lot about the culture and traditions of folks residing in the area.
I was born in Guwahati and I grew up in the same city until I was eighteen. Indore became my second home after I left my hometown. Guwahati was a 51 hour train journey and hence going back home for a week long mid semester break wasn't feasible. Being a student, allowances were limited. However, for a travel enthusiast like me, saving up for a trip never seemed painful. First of my trips was to a town called Satna in Madhya Pradesh, one of my closest friend's hometown. In about a week's time, we ended up visiting Jabalpur, Khajuraho, Maihar and Allahabad. In the second planned trip, I visited Udaipur with few of my friends. It is funny to call it a planned trip as we didn't have any idea on where to head after we got down at the railway station.
I was born in Guwahati and I grew up in the same city until I was eighteen. Indore became my second home after I left my hometown. Guwahati was a 51 hour train journey and hence going back home for a week long mid semester break wasn't feasible. Being a student, allowances were limited. However, for a travel enthusiast like me, saving up for a trip never seemed painful. First of my trips was to a town called Satna in Madhya Pradesh, one of my closest friend's hometown. In about a week's time, we ended up visiting Jabalpur, Khajuraho, Maihar and Allahabad. In the second planned trip, I visited Udaipur with few of my friends. It is funny to call it a planned trip as we didn't have any idea on where to head after we got down at the railway station.
After visits to numerous waterfalls, streams and hills in the vicinity of Indore, we planned two other trips in the last semester of college. In the first one, centred around Pune, Imagica gave us an adrenaline rush and a road trip to Mahabaleshwar gave us peace. From eating freshly plucked strawberries with ice cream to visiting a chocolate factory amidst the beautiful hills, it was a trip to remember. A couple of months later, we drove through the lush green fields from Chandigarh to Amritsar. The lowering-of-flag ceremony at Attari border followed by a visit to the heavenly Golden Temple was the highlight of the trip. As a student tourist, my primary preference in each trip has been to cover the significant spots in each location. This also ensured that I didn't spend too much on fancy accommodations. During my internships at Kharagpur and Ahmedabad, I covered both these places and the city of joy, Kolkata.
Over the last 4 years, having stayed in Hyderabad and now at Bangalore, I have made smaller trips around western and southern India. Whether it be the beaches of Goa or the hills of Ooty, each spot has its own beauty. However, it is to be noted that now I am an employee and I have limited leaves in a calendar year, a majority of which is used for visiting my hometown. Additionally, the nature of my job doesn't require me to travel. Inspite of this, I have managed to cover few other destinations ranging from the ruins at Hampi in Karnataka to the last French colony in India, Pondicherry. Hailing from Assam helped me cover a section of the country that many folks miss out on. Having my roots in Rajasthan ensured that I have visited the state's rich villages and towns and have been to many religious places that my family relates with.
The tendency to visit a new place whenever there seems a possibility has ensured that I have covered 16 states and 3 union territories. Had it not been for the pandemic, I would have added another state to my visited list. At 26, I may not have visited any other country and though a lot of India remains unexplored but I am happy to have covered some bit of my motherland. While we all have been in some form of quarantine over the last few weeks, I am sure a lot of us dream about being able to travel, to roam free and to witness the gems on this planet; for I could still be paragliding at Bir-Billing in my dreams and it is this dream that keeps me from waking up (and of course, my laziness).
The tendency to visit a new place whenever there seems a possibility has ensured that I have covered 16 states and 3 union territories. Had it not been for the pandemic, I would have added another state to my visited list. At 26, I may not have visited any other country and though a lot of India remains unexplored but I am happy to have covered some bit of my motherland. While we all have been in some form of quarantine over the last few weeks, I am sure a lot of us dream about being able to travel, to roam free and to witness the gems on this planet; for I could still be paragliding at Bir-Billing in my dreams and it is this dream that keeps me from waking up (and of course, my laziness).
"Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets"
- Oscar Wilde
Gud, you write your.life history very nicly😍
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