“I don’t care how big and fast computers are, they’re not as big and fast as the world.” ~ Herbert Simon
When was it that the travel bug bit me? Was it when I started to read travel books? Or was it during my trip to the Valley of Flowers? Or perhaps my annual trips back home from Dubai? Looking back, my first real holiday was the one I took from college – to Goa. There were six of us, and we took a last minute overnight bus. For people who were used to the comfort of short flights, the long and cold bus ride was in short – terrible. At the time I believed that the shortest route to a destination was the best – after all, who would trade a 45-minute flight for a 10-hour long road journey? After going through the same 10-hour long journey just last weekend, I would say that I would consider it. While I can’t deny the beauty in the aerial view of a city or town, this trip (apart from others) taught me that the beauty of travelling is in the journey, not the destination. Those who have been to the north of India, would agree that you’re missing out on the best part of your journey, if you take a flight directly to Kullu or Kashmir.
***
It’s difficult to pin point the exact time I fell in love with travelling, but I believe that it slowly crept upto me when I least expected it – as the view of the Goan sunset took over my senses, when the beauty of Taj Mahal had me spellbound, when the view of the snow-capped mountains commanded my line of sight, when a 13 km trek almost brought me to my knees, when I could feel a roaring aircraft taking off from deep down in my heart, when the mist around the mountains parted to reveal a lush green valley of flowers.
So why do I want to travel? The answers are many.
To meet new people.
To break away from monotony.
To get a new perspective.
To experience humility.
To explore new territory.
To learn.
To spend time staring at the little things.
To discover how vast the world is – no matter how far you go, there’s always a place you’ve not been to.
Faye Rodrigues is employed full-time, but makes time to put pen to paper in pursuing her passion for writing. Her dream is to travel the world and write about her adventures. Her passion for travel goes beyond merely reaching a destination – it lies in the adventure of getting there. She believes in the motto – “Live like everyday is your last… Love as though no one is watching you… Write like it’s your only means of communication… Travel as though the world is next door.”