Travel Solo
I can’t wait to get home on a laptop and write the ‘travel blog' I so keenly intend to. So I shall do it right away.
Warning: I’ve had 5 cups tea at once cause I ordered a pot full of tea. Perks of traveling alone is that no one stops you from doing anything you want.
While we all are alone, almost always. Traveling alone is a bit different. Even though the word “alone” has some negative connotations to it, so people in slang terms call it “me-time". They infantilize the word to make it sound less serious and more “whimsy.”
Many years ago I read the book Asura and came across a very interesting quote in it.
Janak was told by an astrologer that “Your daughter will lead a very lonely life.” He responded saying, “She may live alone, but my daughter will never be lonely.”
That quote really stuck with me through and through. We think that “alone” is bad. When in reality on the inside of our mind it is only us. We have no person sitting in there constantly giving us company.
I have traveled alone, but mainly in countries abroad. And only once or twice in India. Actually just once.
This is my second time, which is what makes this trip so special. I have seen my country with either friends or family, but never by myself. I have never sat down to think what would I do if I ever alone in so and so place.
Delhi, presumed to be an unsafe city for women, has been extremely kind to me. And I know it will continue to be so. The city is so clean and full of culture.
Museums are packed with information and in depth details. I had to walk for over 2 hours to entirely look at all parts within the National Museum.
The travel is never for the outside. It is always for the inside. Recently I learnt that Shankaracharya had prescribed three important acts in order to answer the questions, “Who am I? Why am I? Where am I from.”
He suggested:
- Travel the country.
Not just temples, but other places. Experience different cultures.
2. Witness Debates.
When you witness debates you learn something new always and you understand what the “other” side is saying.
3. Keep company of intelligent people.
They will always be insightful and you will learn something new every time.
While not all of us are privileged to travel, those of us who are should really see more of what the world has to offer. And also be grateful.
And when it comes to debates, I’ve been an ardent follower of debates on Intelligence Squared. Though I know that isn’t enough and I need to do much more.
Most of my friends are from outside my field of study. Even then those who are from the same are readers, or growing up to be readers. They make up for all the intelligent conversations my mind needs to thrive. The number of topics you can discuss with some of my friends is too many.
What did I really learn lately?
How to respect life. Life is very precious and rare. Our Planet and Planet Earth documents stories about life in other species. They show how life is extremely resilient.
Instead we treat life as a product. We are constantly giving our “valuable” reviews. “Life is so bad ya. So hard. So sad. So amazing. So beautiful.” Or like I mentioned about “So resilient.”
Instead of seeing life as something different from “us” accept that it is you.
But whatever is happening around is just “happening”. The you inside is undeterred.
I’ve found that the deepest and most valuable connection I have is not with those around me, but with the one within me.
If that connection is strong, nothing and I mean absolutely nothing outside can deter me from being happy.
This is what I’ve understood so far in my life and this trip has just been the conclusive point in this theory.
Although this blog may seem redundant to my past blogs and I write too much about “life”. But that is the only area where my expertise lies. *Pauses for laughter*
When you travel solo, your confidence surges.
- Confidence in strangers.
I have made several blunders in my travel. The latest one being: I was supposed to pay 100 rupees to a vendor, and I removed the money from my wallet and ended up handing him my wallet. He did not take and seconds later I realised my mistake. The vendor laughed and so did I at my incredibly brain dead moment.
Another blunder: I once left my DSLR camera bag at a store in the Grand Bazaar in Turkey. And only realised when we had almost left the bazaar. I rushed back to get it, only to see the shopkeeper searching for the camera’s owner and when he saw he quickly handed it over to me. I hadn’t purchased anything at that shop. We were just looking. But after this I immediately purchased a couple of t-shirts. It was the least I could do.
2. Confidence in yourself.
I am terrible with directions. Google maps are literally a saviour. I’ve gotten lost too many times. And once I got lost with my group of friends. Yet somehow we just decided to wing it and came across a wonderful riverside with some nice little restaurant away from the city.
I learnt that even if you’re lost you’ll always find your way back home no matter where you are in the world. Nowadays I can do that more easily thanks to Google Maps.
This has been a very wonderful experience. I wish to write so much more. But it will seem like “chatter" instead of insightful. So I shall stop.
#ThankYouUniverse
