TRAVEL - This was my challenged zone - I never liked dirty toilets, travel by bus, car or airplane, I hated long train journeys (and especially stinking toilets), new beds or room to sleep (I am "my bed" kind of person". And directions were my most challenged zone of travelling. Travel light was a nightmare for me - how can I travel with two dresses for 4 days travel?
I traveled very less as a child - I grew up with many inhibition to adapt new places, new situations, new food and new environment.
I traveled most after my marriage.
I traveled extensively with Aarohi kids.
I am a new person after traveling extensively in last few years. When I first travelled by car, I carried my bean bag - just in case I need to sit comfortably during my trip :).
I began with travelling for adventure trips. Night camping used to being a huge inhibition about the safety from animals and people. But night camping gave me an opportunity to have faith in “sharing planet” concept. I realized that animals, including crawling ones (snakes) are not born to harm me and they are not looking only for people camping in the night and enter their tents.
Trekking And climbing assured me that all the slopes of hills are not too slippery or not necessarily will make me tumble down. More I trekked, more I climbed rocks, more I became friends with them and discovered the beauty of gravity within my body and explored the stamina I have for trekking for hours. Losing my way in jungle treks gave me confidence that I can use my intelligence to find the path back :-). I met nature in nature, Discovery channel was no more “wow” for me. I had experienced it alive in my trips.
And the last but the most important journey was with the people whom I met during my travel - I would have never known the civilization so closely just by sitting in the comfort of my home.
I started traveling to meet people. Meeting new people, and knowing the unusual work they do by traveling made my traveling a pleasure I started enjoying traveling.
I soon started travelling for a purpose - learning by traveling. I started with Aarohi kids the learning trips. We together traced Cauvery river in Karnataka in its purest form in the fields, mountains and waterfalls. I traveled with Aarohi kids to explore community living in different learning communities. I experienced forest with Aarohi kids and I am exploring history together this year. And this travel is usually with 12-15 kids. I not only learnt a lot, I am enjoying the whole experience.
I traveled to North east to explore the white mountains, I traveled to Gujrat to feel Kutch and 13hrs birding Safari, I travelled to Himalays to explore river Ganga, I traveled to island to feel live marine life, I traveled to Hampi to gaze stasr the whole nights, I traveled to Rajastahn to feel vibrancy of colurs. I traveled for long hour, I traveled in nights in heat, in bus, in jeeps, with sick child, in many different forms.
Meher, Koki, Ratnesh, Asawari, Dhrupad and all Aarohi kids have been my companion in my travel - my gratitude to all of them for exposing me to the wonderful world of traveling.
Traveling has helped me to come out of shell of ME - I saw life in different forms.
Traveling helped me to know my needs - I can pack whole comfort in one bag.
Trevlling helped to work on my challenges - directions, strangers, new places, new envorieonemnt - I am much more comfortable.
Traveling helped me to make new friends and connect with people.
Trevlling helped to know my guest and respect them who travel to meet me.
This reminds me of a quote "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness". -Mark Twain
I still do not like air travel, I think I will get air sickness, I still get discomfort before travelling by bus or jeep for long hours, I still feel the uneasiness with the thought of traveling in heat and on dusty roads - but I travel. I travel because, I learn and I love learning. I travel because I discover myself.
