Hey everyone!
Travelling for me used to be fun only if I bought something, only if I did shopping. I'd be disappointed if I went to a place and didn't buy anything. That's stupid. I know. But I went to Saputara, Gujarat in December 2015, again. Yes. I'd been to Saputara lots of time and that's why I wasn't particularly excited about it.
But...as we reached Saputara, my sister spotted a hoarding and read out loud "Saputara Paragliding Festival". And all of a sudden my ears perked up and my eyes gleamed like it had tiny stars in them! Me and my sister were both excited about it, although, we knew it'd be expensive. That's why, we asked our parents to go to the take-off ground just to see what it's like.
We check into our hotel and after freshening up, we head out. We have tea and drive to the take-off ground. There were parachutes and people in the sky! I was thrilled! My dad saw how fascinated we were, and he asked us, "Do you girls want to take a ride?" And we said "Erm...nah..." Because we knew that staying 5 minutes in the air was an expensive experience.
But he insisted that we should go and after a few minutes of resisting, we agreed! And the next thing we know, we filled out the forms and geared up!
Surprisingly, I wasn't afraid at all! My pilot gave me instructions about how we'd take off and land. He was a very kind, brave and good man, I must say. He said "1...2...3...run!" and so we both started running and within a few seconds, we were in the air! Now that was a feeling and experience like I'd never known before. Everything became silent and beautiful in a moment.
There are times when the world makes you feel tiny and there are times when it makes you feel big. This was the moment when I felt both at the same time. I felt like a giant or someone with superpowers compared to all the tiny people from the top, and I felt tiny in front of the generous sky and the glorious mountains. It made me see the world from a completely different perspective. I felt like I was seeing the world for the first time. It's not that often that you get to see the entire world at once, in one go, in one angle and it wasn't enough! You'd need some time to take a good look at what's in front of you.
It was a surreal experience and it changed my outlook on traveling. Since then, I travel for the experience, the greed to absorb what the world has to offer. I want to explore this beautiful world, meet wonderful people and loving animals, know enthralling stories of the land and history, and eat good food. The travel bug bit me hard and I hope it hits you all for good!
Happy traveling fellow humans! :)
