Covid has meant a lot of things to all of us. To me, it has been –
1. Paranoia for the initial months, worrying sick over the invisible demon;
2. An unhealthy amount of obsession with Maroon 5;
Truth to tell, when I heard my husband’s plan to move to Goa, I shrugged it off. All I could visualize at that point, was endless suitcases and cartons, packing material, mover van, and the sound of packers taping our lives into boxes. And so, I tried to hide behind my cup of chai to avoid the discussion. But clearly, the husband isn’t the one to give up easily.
After a scenic drive that took forever to bring us to our destination, we reached with a diminished will to live. A little something about me – I am not a big fan of road journeys. Before you ask me about train journeys, no, not even those. That said, it took us exactly a night’s rest to feel a sense of calm percolate deep into our skin. Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping loudly, doors opening to the view of the lakes and hills, the excitement of rushing out to see newly sprouted flowers, and taking in huge whiffs of fresh air, is as close to perfection that we have dreamt of. Now again, this living might not be for everyone.
So, here’s what you can expect from your move to the land of flip flops, beachwear, hats, sunglasses, nightlife, seafood, water sports, siesta, and bright colouful buildings.
Personal networks get your job done. Forget about the daily grocery at your doorstep every morning that you ordered the night before. Although, Swiggy, Amazon, Myntra, 1mg, Zomato deliver here, but don’t expect them to turn up as quickly as they did in your metro city life. This is where your local handymen, networks et al come into the picture. Goa is the place to relax and take it slow. Don’t expect people to be in a hurry to get on with their work. Soon your impatient tapping fingers will learn to calm the hell down.
Public transport here is almost non-existent. You need a vehicle to get about. Enjoy the drives with coconut trees, colourful buildings, beautiful architecture, and rivers flying past your view.
This is a place to get your creative juices flowing. If your work deals with the arts, get yourself a roof in this part of the world, and see it work its magic. It’s a great place to bump into and get to know yoga instructors, writers, chefs, and painters.
Expect it to get wild. ‘Oh I just saw a snake slither by’ is something that doesn’t shock you as much, after a few days. Despite the fact that it’s not venomous, it will frighten you to your bones. Look left, look right, and if there are no snakes outside your house, then keep your head down and run to the gate.
Beaches here are a dream. With some effort and local networks, you will be able to understand which beaches to frequent, to avoid the crowds. This is even more important in current Covid times. We have found exactly three beach spots in North Goa – yes in the super touristy part of Goa – where we can enjoy our days at the beach by ourselves without fretting over the virus that has overstayed its welcome by a million years. Soon enough, my child’s books on dinosaurs will include my face, as overthinking about the virus will get me at the end. But then, we digress.
Power cuts are usual. This hits harder coming from Mumbai where power cuts are so infrequent that they make it to national news. Internet connection is another thing to check about. It could be patchy for most part, so do check if the connectivity is / could be managed. Poor internet connectivity might lead to a murder mystery story at your place. There, you have been warned.
For those traveling with kids, there are some decent alternate education options. It’s a dream location for kids, who get to spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun. It is a safe place. People would leave you be in your space or be your network here, depending on how you like it.
Living in Goa isn’t the same as the week long vacations you have taken here. It is a bright painting that you get to be a part of, wearing hats and sunscreen. The painting will still have snakes living closer than you’d like. Hisss!