Can’t wait to travel again. The hills are calling me.
#wanderlust #hillsarealive #soloqueen #travelmore #goexplore #openmyworld #lovetotravel
We were in the middle of the scorching Delhi summer. The year was 2019 and the temperature had hit 43 degrees. The floor was hot, the air was blistering and the tar on the roads had begun to melt. Those without air conditioners were wetting their mattresses in an attempt to sleep. Their fridge would probably be stocked with chilled bottles of water. The Aqua guard or 20 litre Bisleri bottles would be hot enough to brew a cup of tea. The bathroom would have two buckets of water because water from the taps was no longer room temperature.
I had gone through this 8 years ago when I had moved to Delhi. I was so glad to be done with it. Memories of living with a cooler and escaping to malls or homes of friends for a little bit of AC came floating back ominously. I hoped that there wouldn’t be a power cut.
As I sat in my air conditioned drawing room, scrolling mindlessly through my Instagram feed on a blazing Sunday afternoon, I was accosted by breath taking photos of the hills, camping in the forest, stunning pools with hand glazed tiles (probably somewhere in Turkey), sunset at the beach, backpackers sitting at the edge of a cliff, a pair of manicured feet in leather sandals on an intricately designed tile, and of course, the famous wanderlust hashtag.
It made me want to travel. I had a sudden urge to pack my bags, get in the car and get out of the city. I wanted to be spontaneous.. The feeling lasted for exactly five minutes. As soon as I started thinking of travelling, I began planning how and when and where. Should we go for 3 nights or a week? Should we go to the hills or the forest? Should we find an Airbnb or a boutique hotel? How much money were we willing to spend? How much money did we have to spare?
In the short span of five minutes I had convinced myself that we needed a holiday and then convinced myself that we didn’t. There was too much to do, too many things to plan and too many variables. A holiday could wait and so could #wanderlust.
As much as I would like to be, I am not a spontaneous person. I don’t like travelling. I only like the idea of it. The thought of planning is so stressful that I prefer not to plan at all. I wonder if there are other people who plan like me. I am not single. I am married with a 5 year old daughter. I have two adult cats, three kittens and house plants.
I envy couples who travel with their kids all the time. They go backpacking, camping, hiking and post happy photos of themselves with their happy kids. I wonder how they manage. Perhaps they don’t have two adult cats, three kittens, house plants and a regular working life?
Then there are those who leave their jobs and spend a year travelling. How? If I ever meet someone who has, I have a long list of questions I would like to ask them.
For example:
How many years did it take you to save money?
How much money did you need to save?
Did you give up your house, furniture, etc or do you still pay your rent?
Do you own the house you stay in when you are not travelling?
If yes, then does someone take care of it while you are gone?
Do you have house plants?
If yes, then who waters them for you?
Do you work while travelling?
Do you have kids?
If yes, then do they go to school?
Do you have cats or dogs or other nonhuman family members?
If yes, then where do they stay while you are gone?
Is it true that you can travel a year with just two pairs of leggings and five T-shirts?
Have you fallen sick while travelling?
If yes, then has it affected your travel schedule?
Do you have a schedule when you travel?
If no, then how do you budget?
Do you need to keep a strict budget?
If yes, then does that affect your experiences while travelling?
There are a few more in my list, but I can’t remember them.
I have always wanted to love travelling. I tried to be a person who wants new experiences. I pushed myself to try and get out of the city every few months. I had heard that those who love to travel get the wanderlust itch every two months. So I would also try to get itchy every two months. I would Google “places close to Delhi”, and a host of options would open up. I would spend hours looking at hotels, camping sites, hiking trails and eventually close my phone and go to bed. Somehow I always found a reason (an excuse) for not travelling. Eventually I came to understand and accept that I did not have the wanderlust gene. I liked staying at home.
On the off chance that we did take a holiday (it’s not like I don’t travel at all), I would be homesick within three days. I loved the break. But I loved coming back home even more. I love my house. I love every corner, every crack, every crevice and every stain. I love every imperfection and every piece of furniture; old and new. It’s a house that has my heart.
Perhaps those who travel have not found their home yet. Perhaps they seek solace and comfort in travelling, looking for a place they can call home. Or perhaps, they prefer to not be rooted or tied to one place. Their wanderings are for new places, new people and a thirst to absorb as much as they can of this beautiful world. There may be travellers who don’t like the commitment of settling down in one place. They need to be able to move when they want to – without thought, without hassle and without giving away their house plants.
I want to be rooted. I want a place where I can build my life. I remember the day when our contractor left; the last lot of painters had finished touching up the walls, the polisher was finally done with the dining table, the plumber had fixed the last leak and the last payment was made. That was the day my wanderlust ended. I was home and there was no place that could make me happier
What would you call a person who does not like to travel and finds herself better suited to stay in one city, one home. Is there a hashtag for people like me?
I silently cheer for all those who travel. I wish them a safe and happy journey. And I hope that someday, they find a place that resembles what I call home.