WHY DO WE TRAVEL?
This is a question I was asked several times after I became a frequent traveller in the last few years. For me, answer was simple – “because I like travelling”. To say simply, there are many things that people like, and there need not always be an answer to the ‘Why’s. But as I got this question from more and more people, I thought of it a little more and tried to list all the things that I get from travelling. I could list many things that made my journeys worthwhile though it would not be complete. There are things that are fairly obvious, like –
1. The thrill of adventure – like when I go skiing.
2. The joy of being part of the beauty of nature – like in the mountains or when I go hiking or trekking.
3. Experiencing the pleasures of life – like when I go driving, taste exotic food, lie in the beaches or go to a disco.
4. Seeing the beautiful things created by man is a worthwhile experience – like visiting the Taj Mahal or the temples of Belur and Halebeedu.
5. There are places that just make me feel good. I stop thinking, worrying, or bothering about anything worldly. I can sit on the bank of Ganges at Rishikesh and spend days and days without a care about anything in the world.
6. See variety. See different type of people, different ways of life, etc. It is a great experience.
And then there are some things that are not so obvious. Travelling helps us learn. I have come to understand that the much-used cliché “travelling broadens your mind” is indeed true. We become open to new things. We come out of our shells and come to understand many things that we would not know earlier. It could teach us to live happily within our means after seeing all the chaos that the world has to offer. But again, it could also leave a longing for the beautiful and exotic places. Six months of travelling has taught me to be more humble. It has taught me to be happy with what I have and yet strive to achieve what I wish to. It has taught me that the world is not a bad place to live, but we can work to make many improvements in it.
And then you meet fascinating people. The best thing about an Indian travelling in India is meeting Indophiles from the west. They come in every size and shape, of all ages and all kind of background. The only thing common with them is they are crazy about India and they can’t help but keep coming back. I have met several of them on my journeys and everyone told me how lucky I am to be Indian! And then there are some unforgettable people like the man I met at Varanasi who had retired from his good corporate living and was now striving to do some good for the holy city. Such people also play a role in opening up our mind.
There are so many good things that come with the joy of travelling. But then, it is very much possible that you miss these good things if you are not looking for them, but just hurry from place to place ‘sightseeing’!
Now, for all those travellers who read this blog, why do you travel?