If someone asks me what my comfort food is, I’d say travelling. And you’d be wondering am I this stupid? Is travelling food?? Blah blah…. Interspersed with loads of smirks. Or laughter.
Well, to me, travelling is food. My comfort food. My life blood. My source of sustenance. A solace from the gritty, gripping unavoidable truth of work life. Just the thought of travelling brings calm to my overloaded mind. And planning the trip and the associated excitement of prepping and packing for it, takes away my blues. Going to new places, meeting new people, trying new food, getting to know new cultures, don’t just add to my personality, but add to the never ending, invaluable memories of all my trips. And each trip leaves its own story, each story intriguing to the last syllable.
From getting almost thrown over a bridge and into the fiercely angry waters of a river in Durham, to feasting on ema datshi in Paro, from getting lost in the labyrinthine corridors of castles in Scotland, to getting sick due to eating too much cheese in Gstaad, from walking through the cemetery in Oxford, to shopping on the streets of Bangkok , from paying extravagant amounts on pathetic Indian food in London (after days of crepes, breads and pretzels), to gorging on malai wali lassi and chhole kulchhe in Chandigarh….. There are so many memories embedded on my mind, heart and soul. Near supernatural experiences, near fatal encounters, getting stung by a humongous bee in Ranthambore, getting almost bitten by a snake in the Sundarbans, seeing unexplainable things in the forests of Dowhill, Kurseong, getting lost in snowy mists in Nathula, a whole world of experiences, a wide gamut of emotions, each precious, each heart touching, each a learning experience. I wish to share about them all…. One story at a time.
So till we meet again for me to share my favourite memories, remember, travel to your heart’s content because the benefits are too many. Get out of your comfort zones and see, taste and try a new world. Face challenges, learn to get stronger, learn to adapt to and explore new surroundings, meet with different people, make new friends, embrace adventures and above all, make beautiful memories to cherish for a lifetime !