"I had so many plans...this year was meant to be my year...!", cribbed me sitting aimlessly lying on the sofa, with the night suit on, nicely champi-ed hair, and mom's special tea being served.
This could have been a blessing for me, BC! (Before Corona, I meant this, genuinely!) I wanted to visit home for some good 15/20 days. However, work never allowed, and above that long weekends were always prioritized for some nice gateways. One thing that the year 2020 has taught me is to never crib for what you do not have. Each time you spend is a blissful memory in the making, which will be reminisced by you in the future.
Each word written above is to be treated as a carving on the stone! What have we travel-enthusiasts doing all this year? #Throwbacks! Ain't we? Well, I call it remembering the good old days.
While cribbing on the sofa, I picked up my phone, and with that terribly frowned face, stretching all my face muscles against the gravity started shuffling through Instagram. I saw someone posted a picture of Himachal, and then the never-ending scroll and one post to other, from one username to other-web started to knit. I came across the picture of momos. Yes! And it immediately reminded me of the very first time I ever tried momos! It was in Gangtok! The year 2012! That's a really long time back. And that's one of the reasons I craved to visit this beautiful place once again.
My trip to Gangtok was a Family trip, mostly curated and managed by Dad. Now, that made me crave to visit the city even more. Speaking of the city of Gangtok, the vivid memory that embraces my line of thoughts is that of the relishing on the best momos of the world, the mesmerizing Yumthang mountain, legit walking on the Teesta river, the amazing drive on the Mt. Kanchenjunga, the mesmerizing view of the seven sister waterfalls and an unending memory trails Gangtok visits me with since I am unable to as of now.
Suddenly, I came out of my dreamy memories and remembered how we had some physical copies of photographs from this trip. I ran into the store to find some of them. I did get some from the rest of the trip but was unable to find the ones specifically from Gangtok. "Aaaaa...where are they?", irritated me. Went back to the pictures and saw a couple of pictures from a friend's post, where I could see the snow-covered mountains. And that took me to another dreamy trail.
The visit to the Teesta river, the river is frozen in the winter months. I remember how I was losing my breath because of the low oxygen level. Well, that was my first and last time I ever experienced this. Well, that did not spoil my trip as I collected all the strength by laying down on my mum's lap for a while! Dude, they do have superpowers! So, I and my little boo went on to play in the snow, throw snowballs at each other, try hard to make our "snowman" story true. I remember at one point in time we were so out of breathing when my brother sat down in the snow, covered his ears with cap and I was making the snowfall on him - like created a snowfall, just for him. And he was helpless, but it was kind of a cool dreamy feels for our duo to enjoy.
We failed to visit the Nathula at that time, so, a Visit again would lead me to checklist that part, and also create some more evident memories. This was 7 to 8 years back, way too long! The government has been changed twice by then. Well, I remember our first mark of the 0 degrees at Yumthang valley - ah! "I want to visit this yet again!", that yell was really loud.
Ah! Gangtok! Our trip was covering most of the North-East. It involved - Gangtok, Cherapunji, Guwahati, New Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, and I know I am missing a few places to name, but this what it is.
"Speaking on a length, the Sikkim trip was a blessing!", sighed me, while shuffling the pictures yet again. "I need to re-visit this trip, follow the same places, maybe? Or make something on my own - just like that! But Gangtok is surely on the list and on the very TOP of it!
"Koi to vaccine Bana do yaar!", continues me, keeps her phone aside, lays down on the sofa, adjusts the pillows, keeps her one leg on the table, and continues to crib.