An incredible travel story of kindness and trust

During my trip to Utrecht in Netherlands  in July 2023, I met Vic on the train. Vic is from Johannesburg (aka Joburg/ Jozi) in South Africa. Both Vic and I were looking for the train to Utrecht from the Amsterdam airport and our paths collided. 

We engaged in a hearty conversation about our lives and soon realised that we understand each other as human beings. Our vibes matched instantly and effortlessly. 

As I expressed by desire of exploring Africa to her, she encouraged me to fulfil my aspirations. Some thirty minutes into our conversation, she surpassed all worldly benevolences by inviting me to stay at her home in Joburg if I happen to visit the city any time.

To think of it, Vic and I had been conversing for a very small duration of time and, hence, I was technically still a ‘stranger’ to her. Therefore, this was an unprecedentedly kind gesture from her side and it left me speechless. From my heart, I knew her invitation was truthful and authentic (and not perfunctory in any way). 

Trust, as we know, forms the cornerstone of any relationship in this world. For the trust she displayed in a stranger, I was filled with respect and affection for her.

At that time, travelling to South Africa was a far-fetched idea to me. 

Fast forward 8 months, I have been on a trip to South Africa, spent a night at her place (even though she was herself away hiking in the wild coast) and have created some beautiful memories in her city.

Yes, all the pieces of the puzzle have magically fallen in place to make the vision into a reality.

Vic and I at the the Utrecht Station in Netherlands

Moral of the story- 

With her unprecedented gesture of kindness, Vic has taught me that there is no limit to showing love, care and support to humanity. 

We show love and support to our friends and family easily but it takes a different level of consciousness to do the same for people we barely know.

I believe it’s not possible to ‘payback’ her generosity in any way but I can pass the kindness forward to the world and keep this virtuous cycle going.

Last but not least, to know how to receive is a human skill that we must learn to cultivate. Today I believe I’ve learnt to accept and receive with grace and hope that I’ve been able to reciprocate to her generosity with gracefulness. 

For all the friends I have lost this year, I know I have found her as a new friend in my life. That fills my heart with immense gratitude.

Letting go of my (s)tresses

As a teenager, I went through several phases of hair loss. These were so severe that my friends would tease me as ‘baldy’ and would predict that I would become completely bald soon (they were being utterly mean of course!).

 
The reason behind the abnormality was attributed to my diet. I neglected eating at the behest of studying (and more studying) in the hyper-competitive environment that I grew up in. The good that came out of this ‘hair fall trauma’ was that I became very conscious of my food habits – quitting soft drinks, and sugary and fried food items in my early 20s. I did not continue my food celibacy for long because these ‘sacrifices’ helped me arrest my hair fall soon. As I poured love and care into my strands routinely, they started responding to my efforts.

Fast forward 15 years and I became a humble bearer of a long black wavy mane that met with profuse appreciation and compliments wherever I went. This journey of hair transformation was astounding even to me as a person. I grasped that there is no situation that cannot be turned around with commitment to oneself.

Over time, I completely fell in love with my long tresses!

As life made me wiser, I realized how important it is to learn to let go of the things you love, to practice detachment, and leverage your privileges to contribute to something noble – all with the belief that something more meaningful will come your way.

So today I bravely made my way to Unique Hair Design, Copenhagen to put this wisdom in motion. Dorthe, my kind and friendly hairdresser assured me that I have made the right decision and that my head of hair will grow back soon.

Before the snip, she paused twice – first to ask, ‘Are you ready?’ and then, at the final moment, before her scissors went chop-chop, ‘Are you sure?’. Both the questions met with a resounding ‘yes’.

The job has been done and 25 cm of my tresses will now make their way to Vila’s Skandinavisk Parykcenter as a donation to The Danish Cancer Society, Danish Hospital Clowns, and for usage as wigs.
This makes me a part of a project called ‘Vilas hårdonationer ‘ and I can now look forward to receiving a diploma as a token for my hair donation.

Other perks of this happening include a cool (read younger) new look, a lighter head (well, quite literally), and more time for myself….!!

It’s indeed important to learn to let go of the things you love, with the belief that something more beautiful will come your way. In this case, though, the belief is that a head of longer, shinier, and healthier black hair will come my way! *chuckle*

Looking Back at 2021

To sum it up in a single sentence, 2021 was a year of evolution for me. Yes, evolution – intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.

The year brought its share of wins and losses, joy and suffering, gain and pain – the complementary ingredients of a life being lived. As l gracefully made my way through these stages, l embarked on a journey of forgiveness, that once seemed esoteric and preposterous. Opening my heart to forgiveness, I based my reflections in three directions – forgiving people who have hurt me, seeking forgiveness from people whom I have hurt unknowingly, and last, but not least, forgiving myself.

My self-awareness heightened and l grasped the value of self-forgiveness with heart and soul. Self-forgiveness entailed forgiveness for compromising on my values, for seeking validation out of fear of rejection, and for judging my life at times on the yardstick of others. It also meant forgiving self for not being able to say “no” to unreasonable requests, for not acknowledging small successes, and for being too harsh on myself for things over which I had little control.

While l believe this self-awareness is an outcome of years of meditation that I have been committed to, it was not until 2021 that I fully started acting on this deeply entrenched sense of self-awareness.

From a cognitive point of view, I dug deep into researching sustainability and entrepreneurship in a quest to find the sweet spot between people, planet, and profit. This opened up new doors for me intellectually. As I finished my second Master’s degree with flying colors, my life’s purpose, if I may say, kind of became apparent to me. Surely, more to comprehend on that front! But my affiliation with the Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Denmark, and the United Nations in different phases of my studies and exchanging ideas with people from all over the world led to some life-altering moments.

All of these newfound perspectives not only changed me internally but also set me on the path of vegetarianism as I strived to become an individual who practices what she preaches.

The sheer number of new people who came into my life in 2021 was also a major highlight. Through my changing circumstances (from a full-time student to a full-time professional in a new geography) and, not to forget, my solo travels, I encountered countless people from all walks of life who made me realize the kind of connections I seek and want to sustain. Despite the pandemic, I was fortunate to travel far and wide, at times hiking in pristine nature (The Faroe Islands, Black Forest, forests in Denmark) and at other times exploring pretty European cities in countries such as Germany (Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Baden-Baden, Heidelberg), Italy (Bologna, Rome), Vatican City, France (Lille, Paris), Netherlands (Amsterdam, Giethoorn), Norway (Oslo), Finland (Helsinki), Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga), Lithuania (Vilnius), Sweden (Lund, Malmo, Gothenburg, Stockholm) and lastly Denmark (Vejle, Lejre).

Moving to Europe in 2019 and the ensuing pandemic had left me vulnerable to bouts of loneliness which I struggled with for quite some time. 2021 taught me to develop my own coping strategies against loneliness and accept it as part of life.

A flood of rejections hit me as I tried securing a work visa in the European continent after completing my studies. Looking back, I realize how each of those rejections triggered my internal fight-or-flight response. Learning to deal with rejections has long been on my list of life lessons and it was probably exactly what I needed to learn right then. I reminded myself of the wise words of Dalai Lama – “Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck!” and eventually secured my stay in Europe with a full-time job offer.

All in all, this year held a mirror up to me and exposed my emotional triggers, limiting beliefs, and traumas. Thankfully, it did not abandon me there. It also directed me towards adopting a routine of healing to address these inner conflicts and evolve into a better version of myself.

As l enthusiastically set sail on this journey of healing in 2022, l keep patience with the forthcoming 365 days and hope that they help me achieve the state of spiritual and emotional liberation that I am aiming for.

Peace out 2021! Thanks for everything!

Stories about “Getting Old”

One of the most exceptional or aberrational (whatever you want to call it) aspects of my life is how each birthday of mine has been spent with a different set of people. No two birthdays have been the same since I moved out of my home in Kolkata in 2008. Each year the experience has been different – sometimes with new people around me, sometimes a new environment, and sometimes the dynamics of my interaction with these people and the environment.

Over the last twelve years, I have moved five cities which makes an average of a little more than two years in a place – a pretty fluid way of living I would like to think, though speckled with its own sense of instability, uncertainty, and rootlessness. Considering that I had no intention to leave my home city when I was growing up (not even by a figment of imagination), this is definitely coming of age for a person like me.

Among all the places where I have tried to build a life, I have been most successful with Mumbai – where I lived for 5 years, the longest of all my tenures. Mumbai fanned my inner spirit and catalyzed my flexible, adaptable, and energetic nature – the traditional characteristics of what we think is ‘youth’. When I moved out, I let go of a strong network of friends and a firm sense of comfort and familiarity only to start from scratch again in a new city and a foreign country. Learning to let go was the most difficult lesson to learn and I learned it, though slowly and reluctantly, through the continuous series of changes that were pelted on me.

Truly, the only constant so far has been ‘change’ and with time I have not only lived with it but also embraced it. Through every such change, I have gained friendships and I have also lost an equal number of friendships. These changes have made me appreciate some people beyond geographical boundaries because these relationships persisted and were nurtured not due to geographical proximity but in spite of it.

Living the “vagabond life” has its own pro and cons, but it has been for me, my journey towards self-actualization. Yes, it’s a blessing to be able to come across so many people and so many new experiences every year but it’s also a curse not to be able to preserve or continue with most of them. Today I do not know where I will be when I turn old again next year. The subconscious fear of being alone with no one to “celebrate” my special day with keeps me practical and grounded, but the same uncertainty also evokes thoughts of innumerable possibilities which makes me look forward to the future with more excitement. Whatever comes my way, I believe it will be worth it.

P.S.: Are you counting the number of candles on the cake? Well, that is irrelevant when the spirit is beyond ‘getting old’! ️

Mumbai – Why I owe a lot to you

Dear Mumbai,

Five years with you and here I am, reflecting on what got us this far. From getting introduced to you and being smitten by you to vilifying you and finally adapting to grow with you – it has been a truly remarkable journey.

When I ran into you back in 2014, I was running away from a lot of things. Little did I know at that time that you will give me the closure that I needed – the closure that will expel my self-doubts, resurrect my self-belief and put to rest my fears of the past and apprehensions of the future.

Mumbai, I owe a lot to you.

Growing up in an orthodox middle-class family in Kolkata, I had inadvertently learnt to believe that a woman’s life journey is about marriage and  motherhood.  The journey you put me through made me unlearn that. While I am still going through the process of unlearning, I find myself evolving into someone who is oblivious of societal judgments, secured from within and courageous enough to fight for what she believes in. While I still respect the institution of marriage and the miracle of birth, I have realized that a woman’s identity is not defined by any of these.  Rather, a woman’s identity is defined by her humanity, her personality, her values and a gamut of choices that puts her on a path of self-discovery.

This is not to devalue or disregard the city I grew up in and my modest upbringing in any way. My soul belongs to Kolkata and forever will. But you, Mumbai, touched my life in unprecedented ways and made me what I stand for today!  While Kolkata taught me to accept, you taught me to question. While Kolkata made me kind, you made me strong. While Kolkata made me emotional, you made me independent. While Kolkata gave me roots, you gave me wings.

In gist, Kolkata has my soul, but you will always have my heart.

Remember, the first time I stood at Dadar station in June 2014 dazed by the sea of heads towering over me?  At that time I had felt that I will not be able to pull it through. There, in the middle of the hustle and jostle, stood a person who was emotionally weak, couldn’t imagine living alone and sought support at the drop of a hat.

Remember, the first time I walked into a fine dining restaurant at Bandra all by myself? While my eyes hovered on the people watching me out of curiosity, by the time I got done, I was no longer uncomfortable. I had learnt to eat my food without any company.

Remember, the decision to move out alone and the good six months I spent looking for a decent shelter for myself…? By the time the solo house hunting was over and I managed to shift my home successfully without any help, I had known that there’s nothing that I can’t accomplish on my own.

Remember, how I walked confidently into PVR Lower Parel movie theater with a tub of popcorn  not bogged down by the lack of company? Ya, I was changing for the better.

Remember, how taking a solitary walk by the ocean at Worli meant a great start to a Sunday for me? Yes, I had started to find bliss in solitude.

Remember, attending the music conferences at NCPA with you,  running my first half marathon at the Tata Mumbai Marathon and many thereafter, enrolling in dance classes to fulfill my childhood dreams, embracing travel and hiking like a panacea, starting to travel on my own and learning to enjoy it thoroughly…remember?

When I look back, I feel amazed at how you gradually negated my need for external validation of the life I was choosing.

Mumbai, you helped me move from weakness to strength and  from strength to firepower through the people you brought into my life, the events you made me a part of, the situations you pushed me into and the hurdles you put in my path.

Mumbai, you taught me so much.

You taught me that,

the more independent I become, the more I will appreciate myself;  

the more I let go, the more I will set myself free;

the more I fight the odds, the stronger I will become;

the more I love myself, the more love I will give to the world;

the more self-belief I have, the wider I spread my wings;

and last but not the least, the less I care about people’s judgments, the more I rise.

No matter how “unsuccessful” I am considering the societal benchmarks set for an average woman, I have truly accepted time as a decision-maker and patience as an infallible virtue. While I have learnt to “give time some time”, I have started to enjoy the process of waiting too which, I believe, is as gratifying as the “reaching” is going to be. 

The inner strength and peace that you have helped me build with time will only proliferate wherever I am, even when am not with you.

Thank you for motivating me to choose a life for myself and not live one chosen by others. 

Mumbai, I will forever owe a lot to you.

Looking back at 2019

If I have to describe 2019 in one word, it would be “turbulent”. An unprecedented array of events happened in my life this year and I could barely grasp or internalize their impact. Just when I thought I have traveled enough, I landed in a new country. Just when I thought I have established a career, I went back to being a student. Just when I thought I am not fit enough, I finished the world’s highest marathon. Just when I thought I was strong and impenetrable, I found myself vulnerable. Just when I thought I needed people around me, I found myself alone.

I learnt quite a few lessons this year – I learnt that success is transient and that failure, well, is not bigger than my efforts. I discovered the grey side of mine and learnt to make peace with it. I became an emotional wreck but I learnt to heal too (still in progress!). I discovered that I suffer from anxiety to an extent that it can be called a “disorder”. I bit the dust many times but, most importantly, I did not give up. 

I could strengthen some relationships including the one with my family and let go the ones which were doing me more harm than good. I took help from a solid ecosystem of friends and mentors to fight my battles – both internal and external. Luckily and thankfully, they stood by me.

Keeping the trying times aside, I pursued my travel and personal goals this year with all my heart and I was much rewarded by the Universe. Scrolling through my Google Photos of 2019 was quite a revelation and here is a summary of the note-worthy memories among them:

• January – Solo travel to Barcelona & Madrid (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal). Kolkata
• February – Travel to Gurugram
• March – Exploration of an unknown lake in Maharashtra (the name doesn’t exist on map!). First Half Marathon  of the year – India Unity 21.1 Km finisher.
• May – Solo trek to Kedarnath (Uttarakahand) – a last-minute decision and a reckless adventure (glad i survived!)
• June–  Trek to Kanheri Caves, Maharashtra to celebrate the first monsoon rains
• July – Chitrakote and Tirathgarh Waterfalls, Chattisgarh.  Palgarh, Maharashtra
• August – Bangalore. Khajuaraho, Jhansi, Bhopal, Orccha (Madhya Pradesh). Second Half Marathon of the year – Mumbai Half Marathon 21.1 Km Finisher. Manali, Bashisht, Spiti Valley (Himachal Pradesh)
• September – Lahaul Valley (Himachal Pradesh), Ladakh (Jammu & Kashmir). Third Half Marathon of the year – Ladakh 2019 finisher. Kolkata. Nagpur. Panchmarhi & Patalkot (Madhya Pradesh)
• October – Salzburg, Austria. Jochberg Hike, Bavaria, Germany. Lengerries & Bad Tolz, Germany
• December – Nuremberg, Germany. Vienna, Austria. Bratislava, Slovakia. Budapest, Hungary 

Statistics says – a dozen strangers-turned-friends, six new countries (really?), three half marathons, two new states of India, one Himalayan trek, one Alps trek, infinite memories and zero regrets! 

Can I be anything but grateful?

Not sure if I am prepared for the challenges of 2020… But I will tackle them as they come- one day at a time, one thing at a time, one breath at a time.

 

30th Sep 2019 : The day I arrived in Munich

It’s not everyday that you move to a new country but when it happens it’s an elaborate affair. You think of packing all your favorite things and carrying them with you; probably to make a foreign land appear less foreign! We, humans, have a propensity to cling on to everything familiar – people, places and things!

To gratify my yearning for familiarity, I had packed a total of 52.5 Kilograms (two trolleys of 28 Kilograms and 7 Kilograms , one backpack of 5 Kilograms and one rucksack of 12.5 Kilograms ) with me. The humongous task was to carry these all by myself in a public transport from the airport to my temporary home in the Munich city. The S-Bahn (the transit rail system in Munich – very much like the local train of Mumbai) is connected to the Munich Airport. Therefore I could carry all the luggage in a trolley and use the elevator to board the train. It was all good till then. On reaching Rosenheimer Platz (the S-Bahn Station where I was supposed to alight) things got a little distressing. I had to cross two escalators (with Kilos of luggage equal to my weight) and then drag everything till I reached my host’s home. To make things worse, I misjudged and got into the escalator in the opposite direction and went up the other side. Soon the realization struck! I had to go back to the platform to take the escalator in the right direction and the bags had to be now moved by the stairs. While I stood there flummoxed debating with myself about what to do, one burly man, uttering a quick “may I help you?” picked up my 28 Kilograms bag and moved down the stairs even before I could react to his suggestion. Stumbling and fumbling, when I reached downstairs with the other three luggage, he was already gone…not even waiting for a note of gratitude from me!

Now was the turn to get onto another escalator. While I was waiting for everyone to pass so that I can move at my own pace, another elderly man, with a quick smiling “let me help you” , took the biggest bag from my hand and moved up the escalator. Later I struck a hearty conversation with him and thanked him for this humane gesture.

Once I got out of the station, a lady came to me and asked if I knew where I had to go! While I was trying to speak to her, I saw my host walking towards us (she had calculated my time of arrival and had started from home to receive me at the S-Bahn entrance). From then onward it was smooth sailing.

This describes my first encounter with the city of Munich – three citizens offering help to a stranger even before she requested for help! I was overwhelmed by this kindness shown towards me on the very first day of a new chapter of my life. Can a foreigner in a new country ask for a more warm welcome and a better acceptance than this? My story stands as a testimony to the generosity and hospitality of Münchners and I would like to believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg. With a start so beautiful, I am more than excited to let the rest unfold.

P.S.: For all those who are thinking that I could have just taken a taxi from the airport – well, it was too expensive! 😛 And after this experience of mine, I am happy that I could take the risk of not hiring a taxi! Look how it paid off!

Kedarnath Trek – Acting on an impulse

As I sit down to gather my thoughts around the last three and a half days of my life and what my mind and body went through during this period, I cannot but be at a loss for words. Embarking on the Kedarnath trek all alone was a completely impulsive decision taken at a time of my life when I badly needed a spiritual revival. The idea was suggested by a friend to which I agreed instantly (in spite of all the odds like no pre-booking, peak season etc), just because it felt right . After all, there is no bigger reason to do something than when your gut feeling tells you to do it.

Kedarnath at 3,583 m (11,755 ft) is the most remote of the Chardhams which requires a 16 Kms steep climb to reach the shrine starting from Gaurikund (6000 ft) with several sensitive landslide-prone areas along the route. Following the tragedy that befell Kedarnath in 2013 when the old route was washed away by a catastrophic flood, a new route was built and civilisation was restored with time. The new longer and steeper route combined with unpredictable weather and geographical conditions discourages pilgrims to walk up to the temple, opting for Pitthus, Palkis, Ponies or Choppers instead.

I was strongly advised by the locals to not try walking up and climbing down on the same day. However, everything did work out for me magically. I started the climb at 4 am reaching the top at 10:30 am and descended on the same day reaching the base at 7:30 pm. These 16 hours were interspersed with thrill, anxiety, pain, resurrection, coincidences, adventures and a few misadventures.

Starting from how I got a bus to Sonprayag, how I found an accomodation to how I got inside the temple and returned to Mumbai in four days flat are all stories which need to be written about. Throughout, I was at the mercy of the Universe and the way things panned out makes me believe in “divine interventions” like never before. While pilgrims would do anything to get a glimpse of the deity, for me it was more about losing myself amidst the sacrosanct Himalayas, getting engulfed in the divine energy and finding peace in the holy surroundings. Thankfully, I could.

All I can say is that I have been extremely lucky and extremely privileged to have made it to the precincts of Lord Kedar; He, who fills up my heart, soul and mind at this moment.

Har Har Mahadev!

A Month of Wanderings – designing and enacting a “Dream”

In the first go, it seemed too ambitious a travel plan – exploring Europe (Italy and Slovenia) over eleven days; then returning to India to embark on the Stok Kangri expedition over eight days; thereafter wandering in the unearthly barrenness of Ladakh over six days and finishing off by visiting the lush greenness of “God’s Own Country” over a week — overall, a month of solo wanderings through a period of “joblessness”. This was August 2018 for me – a mere script then, a precious reality now. When I started on 6th August for Europe, it was intimidating to think of the preposterousness of executing such an elaborate travel plan. Now that I am back to a 9-to-6 routine life having lived the ‘audacious plan’ last month, I feel glad about my decision and blessed to have undergone experiences that are worth writing about in the pages of a book.

Elaborating on each of these travel episodes – Italy, Slovenia, Stok Kangri Expedition, Ladakh and Kerala will be long and slow. So here is a rundown first.

 

In all of these unknown places, I came across several peoples – of various nationalities and ethnicities, speaking different languages and having their own perspective of ‘a good life’. With some I built a great rapport(enough to last a lifetime I believe) and some, let’s just say, I had to do away with! Most of these strangers helped me create special moments or enriched my life perceptions in some way. Almost every day, I slept on a different bed – someday I was couchsurfing, someday I slept in a hostel, hotel or home-stay and someday in a tent! Sometimes I commuted for ten hours in a local bus to see a remote Ladakhi lake and sometimes I walked 10 Kilometers to explore a foreign city. On one instance I hitchhiked too – that too in a car full of monks! Crazy but so memorable! Google Offline Maps and free Wi-Fi became my best friends. On one day, I touched a Ladakhi summit at 20,180 feet and on another I meandered 4 Kms down a Kerala river in a Kayak. Many a time I stared silently at the star-studded sky absorbing the imperceptibility of the Universe while at a later instance, I  chattered unabashedly with whoever I bumped into. Sometimes I gorged on local delicacies like Pasta, Wine, Burek, Momo, Thukpa, Appam, Toddy and at times I filled my stomach with some cold dull sandwiches from a Supermarket or Maggi. It was like experiencing the polar ends of a travel spectrum. All along, I knew I was only adding more colors to my otherwise mundane life.

Of course, there were moments of despair too – after all, solo travelling isn’t always picture-postcard romantic and fun, as it is made out to be. Dealing with uncertainty happens to be a big element of solo explorations and I was learning to embrace it throughout this period – each day at a time.

There were moments when I craved for familiarity – my own soft bed, my regular food and acquainted faces! There were instances when I felt lonely and craved for company. However, this feeling of isolation was not of the kind which robbed me of my virtues but of the kind that made me have deep conversations with myself- the ones laced with inner fears and insecurities – the ones which are always carefully brushed under the carpet.

 

Often, I felt detached from everything I had left behind and a huge sense of inner freedom dawned on me – as if I have never had more control over my actions and as a consequence, on my life. The motley bunch of all the intimate experiences was potent enough to enliven my core and transform it at the same time. I lost track of time repeatedly, in a way that it did not matter where I was and who I was meant to be; again and again, becoming an on-looker to my own situation, absorbing the events as they occurred to me. The inconsequentiality of my existence in the bigger scheme of the Universe played out in front of my eyes daily and that put all my struggles with the inner demons to rest. My heart expanded and my ability to give and accept increased by leaps and bounds. Throughout the period, I was living in the moment; I was living for the moment; I was living, freely.

 

Honestly speaking, getting back to “reality” has been a struggle after experiencing a month of unrestraint and inner accord. But no matter what, I will cope with it; that’s one lection I have gathered from my month under the sun! I would like to believe “reality” as the “dream” that I designed and executed for myself in August 2018.

My Second Solo Euro Trip – Afterthoughts

My second Euro trip ended yesterday. The last one was exactly a year back when I traveled to France, Belgium, Netherlands and Czech Republic. This time, I chose Italy and Slovenia. As I sit down to look back at the last 11 days of solo exploration, I cannot help but pen down a few thoughts arising out of introspection and retrospection over the days gone by.

Like life, a long travel has its own share of ups n downs and isn’t about having fun all the time. This writing attempts to make you aware of the experiential dichotomy that is a characteristics of long journeys. It isn’t a travelogue but merely my reflections after completing a much-awaited Euro trip from India.

Let’s get into the details now.

Countries visited : Italy and Slovenia

Places visited : Milan, Florence, Siena, Venice, Ljubljana, Bled and Vintgar

Mode of stay: Couchsurfing in Milan, Ljubljana and Florence. Airbnb in Venice. Hotel in Venice. Hostel in Ljubljana and Milan. Well, this time I did a full circle when it comes to types of accommodation.

Mode of movement: Flixbus services for inter-city movements and local transportation (buses, water buses, subways, tram, cycle) for intra-city movements.

What I ate: Local food as much as possible – Burek, Kremsnita, Gibanica in Slovenia; Pizza, pasta, spaghetti, Gelato, wine, bread etc. in Italy.

Since my last Euro trip was a success, I had a benchmark to compare to this time. Not everything went hunky-dory this year. To start with, I felt somewhat uncomfortable in Florence during couchsurfing. Then, I had several tiffs with my travel-companion in Venice and had to part ways soon. My hostel in Milan wasn’t well-chosen in terms of location and was not conducive to my return journey. I had set off to Postojna to see the Caves without doing research and had to return empty-handed owing to the serpentine queues for tickets. To summarize, some things definitely could have been planned better by me. However, it’s important to keep in mind that not everything can go as desired over a long travel period. A traveller should be as much prepared to handle the unpredictable circumstances as he/she is to embrace the beautiful ones. In introspect, I believe that the not-so-good experiences made me appreciate the good experiences even more. 🙂

What went well? Well, everything other than that.

The things I got to experience – cathedrals, bell towers, Renaissance buildings and statues, palaces, museums, cobblestone pathways, lakes, gorges, countryside and mountains were undoubtedly one of the most beautiful things I have seen in my life so far. My trip was an eclectic mix of natural and man-made wonders. Could I have asked for more? Nah! And, how did it make me feel? In one word, carefree! I would roam around by myself in the streets of Italy and Slovenia till late in the night without being concerned about safety. It was a liberating feeling. It bestowed upon me a huge sense of freedom and empowerment.

The things I got to eat and the way I lived and commuted over these days made me aware of the local lifestyle and choices.

Small compliments here and there from Italian and Slovenian men were flattering, to say the least.

I met some really interesting and kind people in Milan, Florence, Siena and Ljubljana who made my trip unforgettable. The people I struck conversation with were from all corners of the world – Canada to Bangladesh, Europe to Australia. The most common reaction from them when they would hear I am from India was an astounding “wow”. They would go gaga over how much they love the colors of India, its cuisine, its diversity and most importantly, how much they wanted to visit the Taj Mahal! These reactions made me feel more proud and blessed about being born in a country which is admired across the world. However, they had one pertinent question for me – “Is it safe for women out there?” I upheld my travels as an example to make my answer credible. I explained to them how I travel alone in my country and how all tourist areas are safe and the people very welcoming. I shared my contact details with some of them to help them plan when they decide to visit my country.

To conclude, this was definitely one of those life-events which gave me powerful lessons and beautiful memories to cherish at the same time. I look forward to what life has to offer next.

Cheers.