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She packed her bags and decided to travel, wanting nothing more than to find a place that felt like home. A place that reintroduced herself to the person she used to be and always wanted to be: Her true self. So, she did just that. The first plane out, hand in hand with the love of her life, she embarked this age old yet very new journey. It felt so fresh, the rush to go back. Every time her home reinvented itself, presenting her a very new and vivid picture of the possibilities it held. Anticipating and awaiting the adventure, she travelled, halfway across the world,24 hours away, to her home; “India”.
Her heart skipped a beat, as the wheels hit the ground and the stewardess welcomed everybody to the warm and wonderful country of India. Mumbai was where it all started, the multiplication of excitement, the division of anxiety. All was forgotten, the stress of the everlasting every days, the shackles of the untamable responsibilities. All that came to welcome her was a gust of friendly air and a sense of belonging. She was truly home, despite being all alone in the crowd of a few million people.
Her first day home was a fun filled frenzy, running back to the airport to fly to God’s own country: Kerala. Untainted and unique was what came to her mind as she took in the aura of the place. The beauty around was untouched, the knowledge held, unmatched and the calm it presented, unexpectedly soothing. Add good company and good music and she was Golden. It was the perfect start. Lazy morning on a boat, floating through the splendid back waters of Alleppey. Soft and serene, the music of the waves swayed the senses in the breeze of a silent melody. That was the music for the first day. Troubles seemed far away, far off on the receding shores that looked irrelevant in comparison to the quiet nothings that embraced her. She could feel it seeping in, the faint flavor of her true self; the one that enjoyed the simple nothings of every days, as compared to the blaring sounds of an ambitious week. This was all that she needed, but there was more, more that was waiting to untangle her from her own web.
Allepy backwaters! Photo: Moi 🙂
As the day ended, inviting a new one to take over, she found herself transcended from the flat plains of the calm seas, onwards the green tea plantations of the spellbinding Munnar mountains.It was an added wow to her already sated soul; a breathtaking playground of beautifully painted landscape, sitting in the lap of awe. Walking amidst the natural gardens brought about a sense of sigh, an emotion of elation and a moment of memorable magnificence. Munnar was simply beautiful, a perfect throne set on the peak of God’s own country, celebrated by sharing the essence of its existence to its admirers in the form of dance, relaxation and visual soul healing. She took it all in and let her soul free, finally settling into the emotion of belonging. Soon the pace was about to change.
Munnar Mountains! Photo:Moi 🙂
Goa,the place to be. The place to let loose and let it all go. After a long, too long to be enjoyed train ride, she finally stepped on the grounds of India’s party central. Not that she was in looking to party, rather an intimate gathering comprising of her, her thoughts and the sounds of the hustle bustle that somehow always managed to tune her in with her own voice from within. But Goa was the peak, the cherry on the trip so far. Lucky for her, it turned out to be the most relished part of the 10 day long trip. Transported to an exclusive and oddly (for Goa) calm beach, this leg of the journey was solely catering to fun, laziness and wandering without a worry in the world. What else could a girl ask for. She was more in tune with herself now, celebrating the rise of her ease, and the fall of her inhibitions. This was the best it could be, being reacquainted to one’s self. Goa gave her the best present of all, the gift of leaving it all behind and embracing a moment that had nothing to offer but pure joy. It came by doing absolutely nothing, yes nothing at all, no plans, so expectations and no disappointments on missing out on the possible to do’s. It was the best feeling ever, fueling the second half of her journey with a positive and easy going state of mind.
What lay next ,lived amidst the not so monotonous everydays. It was the best part of the journey, a part all about people and places that defined what home was for her. And it surely wasn’t materialistic. It was the memories of days that, despite having been left behind, still shined bright in quiet recesses of her ever pacing mind. Waking up to the sounds of yesterday, chasing the day with the friends that shared your dreams and stories, and ending the evening with rituals that never get old, no matter the absence in time It was indeed the most wonderful time, doing nothing yet accomplishing a gamut of heart inspiring moments. What progressed from reacquaintance, down to the food lane, tempting and sating the flavor of a hungry palette soon transported her to the world of colors. Holi, the festival of colors, celebrating the start of spring and all the good things it brings along. All the way from Gujarat, onwards Delhi and its many visual spectacles, right to the heart of Rajasthan, off wen went to the pink city, Jaipur. The city that brought her love to the threshold of holy matrimony and onto the life that she so loves living. It was subtle yet grand as it could get. Love filled eyes of the gentle giants, the Elephants, lured her and her company to come hither and get to know them. The elephants melted in her warm caress, swayed their trunk with happiness, as she fed them their fodder and painted the lovely girl beautiful. Sakina,Basanti…the Elephant gals were just the best beginning to the next few hours, that awaited to color them crazy and repaint their washed out ideas…A splash of red, a sprinkle of green and a blast of orange, add some blue, magenta and a few more, and there she was, a living canvas. It was the best memory, a festival that waited patiently for a decade to be celebrated by her. She embraced it, and so did the festival, and the people painted with its galore. It was the best of times…it was the most colorful of times, and the music and madness just added to its appeal.
Holi!! Photo:Moi 🙂
Soon it was time to go return. It waited to welcome her back, and unpack the goodies she collected in India, but wait, one small little adventure still awaited her attendance before she boarded onto that plane. Mumbai and Lonavala. ‘Live like they do’, was all her heart could say, as she walked the streets of Mumbai, and took in its many faces. It was hard not to love the city, bright and happening, calm in the right places, but constantly evolving to cater the people who call it their home. She loved it, the traffic being the worst of its cons, everything else, felt just right. Even Lonavala, the quick escape destination for the locals turned out to be a pleasant chikki filled experience closing in the trip with everlasting sweetness.
Authors Note:
That was my story, my journey to my country, that I visit almost every year. And despite visiting it so often I still find something breathtakingly new every time. Its my salvation, my salve to my not always welcome everydays.India, puts me back to a place where I can re-recognize myself. It truly makes me happy, happy beyond words, and its the best feeling ever…
I just hope my little attempt to share my story, entertained you. I hope maybe if you’ve not been to this country or to a certain place,my babbling has made you a little curious to explore.If so, then my words have earned their worth!! 🙂
Cheers!! ❤
Aashna
Be yourself;
It Suits you.
The year has just started.
Stars Lined Up! 