What Travel Means to Me

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Photo of What Travel Means to Me by Beverly D'souza

Can you imagine how perfect it would be if the concept of travelling were a person? Someone you could be around 24x7? I don’t know what kind of twisted part of my brain came up with this thought... But just I M A G I N E.

I often ask myself why I love travelling so much. Sure, it’s an escape from mundane life, your routine and you get to explore new places etc etc. But when I really thought about it, I realised that I could be myself, all 100% of me, whenever I travelled. There’s something about looking up at a night sky full of stars or a multicoloured range of mountains or an ever-expanding water body that makes you feel completely at peace. It’s the kind of experience that you know could never disappoint you, that never changes and that you’ll continue to love more, no matter how long you’re around it.

Now, I’ve never been in love or anything so this is probably what falling in love is like. But you gotta admit, no other experience in life gives you the same kind of raw happiness that travel does.

I recently travelled to Udaipur and Jaipur for a friend’s wedding. We spent about a week in Rajashtan and when I came back to reality, of course, all I wanted was to go back on vacation. I mean who doesn’t after a fun few days in an amazing place, right? But what I also realised was that I felt homesick. It was the strangest feeling. I mean, here I was, in my hometown, at a place i’ve been all my life, yet I felt as if I left my home behind, somewhere I felt more comfortable than ever before.

And it’s not just about the place I was in, I think it’s more about the feeling of being on an adventure, the happiness you feel when you experience a new place, that ironically makes it feel like familiar, like home... Where you’re safe, free and deeply, truly happy.

Am I the only one?