“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.” — Saint Augustine.
Prior to COVID 19, I loved travelling as it meant taking off for someplace new and exciting.
Travelling is energising, as it is a break from routine, and we have now learnt to plan well in advance to get the best deals.
Prior to my retirement, there were many restrictions. As a teacher, I could only travel during school holidays, which would be the peak season. and if we did not plan well ahead, holidays would not materialise.
Every cloud has a silver lining, though I did miss working, I could now travel freely whenever I wanted.
So I and my husband planned to avoid the rush season and decided not to travel during school holidays. Thus we dealt with lesser crowds making our sightseeing easier and so much more convenient.
If we were lucky we would find empty seats next to us on the flight, and spread out comfortably in our economy seats, on the long haul.
We had a long bucket list …we may not be able to visit all the places on our list, god willing we do intend giving it a good try.
Travelling exposed you to so much learning. At airports, while transiting you began to notice cultural differences which told you a lot about the people of that city.
As an Indian, I knew that in Delhi, even at the cost of generalising, I knew that most people have no time for each other. Even at the airport, people are businesslike, answer in monosyllables, and barely smile or make small talk.
While transiting through Mumbai airport, I found that when I asked directions of passers-by, they politely directed me in the right direction and even walked along to ensure I didn’t get lost.
During our last transit via Mumbai before proceeding for the departure gate we decided to grab a quick cup of coffee at one of the cafe’s en route. We chose a low table and chairs. Suddenly we were interrupted by a girl in her thirties, asking us if we would prefer to swop tables with her and her husband. She must have seen our perplexed expressions and very politely told us that as we were of her parent’s age, she felt, we would face the same difficulty they faced, getting up from a low seating arrangement. I smiled and assured her that both of us were still agile and would have no problems getting up.
This was so spontaneous and lovely. Strangers in Delhi do not come up and volunteer help, and both of us were touched by her affectionate gesture. We realised that people were less self-obsessed and had more caring.
Much to my anguish I also realised that she assumed I was really old. All my investment in anti-ageing creams was definitely not accomplishing the results I thought they were.
Here I had been living in a fool’s paradise believing I still looked young!
At the departure gate, we were waiting for the lines to get shorter, continuing to sit on our seats when an airline employee comes up to me asking if I needed a wheelchair.
I appreciated the respect that came my way, but it unquestionably deflated my ego once again.
Alas …
It is good to get away from our regular life routine. Sitting at various airports, waiting for flights, I was exposed to people from different parts of the world. Strangers you smiled at, or helped out, guiding first-time flyers or answering their queries, rendered the experience more memorable.
Each time I left home and stepped out to travel, I returned enriched … meeting new people, sharing a conversation, made you realise and understand that people all over the world are the same. I may never meet them again, but the conversation and memory lingers and made unscheduled long waits at the airport interesting and bearable.
I look forward to normalcy returning to life with Un Locks in progress. The pandemic has impacted and made me conscious of the previous shallowness of my existence, chasing material pleasures and not doing anything concrete to save our environment.
Whilst I do make a pledge to be a better citizen, I look forward to travelling and seeing the world in a more meaningful way.
I look ahead with positivity, knowing that I will be inspired by nature in all its glory, appreciate people for all their goodness, irrespective of their colour, religion or nationality and be more aware of the beauty and diversity of places I visit.
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This post was previously published on Hello, Love and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: Unsplash