Why should one travel?

 

I have always believed traveling is a form of enriching one’s life. Majority of the masses assume that one travels for leisure, luxury and to show off the wealth they have accumulated. But I disagree with that notion. Traveling is beyond mere words. It is an experience indescribable! The experience of going to a new place, associating with the local people, learning, and understanding their culture, language and cuisine, walking through historical sites and breathing in fresh air is nothing less than a spiritual experience.

It is always rejuvenating to take a break from our mundane lives and to escape to a land unknown. I remember when I was six years old when my parents took me on my first road trip, from Bangalore to Mysore. But for a six-year-old, the simplest things bring joy! The hotel room, fresh blankets, shiny bathroom tiles and of course room service, these were the things that were completely new to me. I had my very first sizzler there and can never forget that feeling. Other than this, I distinctly remember enjoying a toy train in the rail museum and walking all over Mysore Zoo. I was so happy with the experience that I didn’t want to leave!

Traveling is also a form of reliving history. Every place has its story. The thick grasslands, rocky mountains, and the blue sky, all tell a tale that dates many years back. 

I remember walking through Bhaja Caves in Lonavala, trying to imagine the lives of the Buddhist monks who lived there. Temples in Madurai and Thanjavur remind me of the glory of the Chola’s and Pandya’s. Trotting through the Qutub complex, listening to the guided tour by a person who played Sultan Iltutmish was regal and wonderful. Trekking to the Tiger’s nest monastery (Taktsang monastery) in Bhutan, although arduous, transported me to the time Guru Padmasambhava taught and preached to his disciples. 

Traveling is a way of embracing different cultures and relishing different cuisine. On our journey to McLeod Ganj, my parents and I tried Momos and Thukpa for the first time. We were blown away by it’s simplistic yet nourishing flavour. While traveling to Sikkim, we bowed with respect whenever we saw the seven stones placed on top of each other. We brought back with us a newfound respect for the Himalayan region, Tibetan singing bowl and miniature prayer wheels.

Sadly, due to the pandemic all the traveling has been stopped. 

One might wonder, how to travel without physically travelling to a place? 

Whenever I felt the need to escape during these tough times, I closed my eyes and mentally transported myself to the foothills of the Himalayas. Felt the cool air on my face, relived its enchanting beauty and bowed to its magnificence.

There is always a way to travel, even though the physical circumstances might try to curb you. Recently, there has been a boom in camping and converting a car into a camper van. It poses as a convenient, cheaper, and safer way to travel in these hard times. From a portable gas stove to a convertible bed, a car can take you to any part of the country. But if the means of travel are still unavailable, books are a form of escape. I believe they are little time machines that take me to any time, any part of the world and leave me wanting for more.

Traveling opens your mind to things that you never thought existed. You find in yourself a form of fulfilment in meeting people of different cultures and exploring different places. The realization of the ever-expanding universe and of how miniscule we are sets in. Along with the expansion of the universe, your mind too is expanding through new experiences. One truly becomes, “Older and Wiser” through traveling.