Travelling

Travelling is like throwing a stone in a pond. The ripples keep happening, keep making waves, connect with each other and it is only a while later you can feel the magic....Santosh Sivan.

I have traveled south India before 25 year in a school trip but I'm still feeling the magic! South's huge temples, Vivekanand memorial, rail travel to Rameshwaram, Banglore's science museum etc were still in memories...and since then I always wanted to go there again. How I lost in Vrindavan garden that evening and how I crossed dam and reached to our bus myself in huge crowd as our president Gyaniji was there that night. It is one of my childhood adventure! Travelling is lot more than just visiting a place...that was 21 days unforgettable trip & that experience has added something to my existence. It took years to realize why my father always wanted me to travel more. When my father booked my school trip, our neighbor told him instead sending her to trip why don't you purchase TV , then she will enjoy whole world sitting at home! Could he ever understood what Mark Twain has said- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness… broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime" ?

Ashna was in std 1 and we went for Goa trip during school days, her teacher complained after return that she had forgotten everything after trip! 10 days trip had washed out what she learnt in 6-7 months!!! Me and Nikhil both are travel-lover and we never joined any package tour as we always needed freedom, instead visiting just places we love to experience whole journey, we are more interested meeting people than just counting places, we never wanted home like food or other convenience during travel....we are thirsty, curious explorer  and like to take journey as it goes and in our own way. Actually our mode of travelling inspired homeschooling! ...we don't want to study in pieces and instead reaching somewhere we want to learn things completely. Life and learning both are ongoing journey...every moment something new going to be unfolded.

I would like to travel by foot like Kaka Saheb Kalelkar's Himalay Yatra but compromised it with by car journey. With Nikhil all trips are by car, it feels connected with  soil & soul of our country....flexibility to stay wherever we like. Whenever me & children have to travel without Nikhil we love to travel by train & bus too. We are very flexible as far as traveling is concern. Except petrol expense our trip is a kind of budget trip...by choice. We are not fond of luxuries, comforts, fashion or anything glamorous in real life and so does in travel...our thrust is to know, to feel, to experience.  

We travel frequently for work, without work or with work. While Nikhil or me busy with our work...we finds ways to be busy by just roaming around, visiting nearby places, meeting people, playing, making stories or drawing. During last trip to south at one customer place there was two big cherry trees, a big fish pond and a loving watchman uncle and open area to play...children enjoyed whole day while Nikhil was busy at work. 

People look at me with surprise when I tell them me and children alone go for trip. We have to sometimes due to nature of Nikhil's work. But I always found my children supportive and responsible during travel.  Even Nikhil asked how will I alone manage a long trip with children when we went first time  (Megh  4 & 1/2 and Ashna 8 that time)...but that was nice memorable trip. During such trip one has to be careful, punctual, responsible, flexible and so many life skills develops without really knowing about.

Just looking at how things changes with the place...people, prices, terrain, food, tastes, crops in farms, culture etc. makes children wondering about all new things around. First time when Megh eaten on Banana leaf he was so excited , after return to hotel he called to my mom and said "Dadi, here people eating on banana leaf...how nice na?  instead using plastic, paper or steel dishes they can directly throw it to compost?" 

Amazing feelings after watching wonders of nature like Jog fall or man-made wonders like Meenaxi Temple, Madurai are magical in true sense , stays within our heart forever...inspires children many different ways. Visiting any historical places has it's own thrill. After Lothal visit  Ashna was very much curious about Indus valley civilisation....she draw pictures and still any new finding about it makes her  eager to know more.  

Travel no matter long or short or just a single day outing...changes something within you, you never know exactly what. It's fun, enjoyment, learning, experience, feeling , adventure , family bonding, connecting with different people....... one can extend the list as per own experiences.