EUROPE!! The continent with so many places to visit that it can leave one astounded. And that is EXACTLY where we were headed!!
My sister and I headed for an EPIC trip for 34 days to 4 countries. We explored, broke boundaries and discovered so much more than we had expected!
We learned how to navigate and travel on our own, manage money and have a good time while at it. We explored so many places, took walks just because we felt like it. There was complete flexibility and we left each place feeling connected and satisfied with our journey.
Travelling with my sister was so much more than I expected. This trip was a truckload of memories which I will cherish my whole life. It has increased my hunger for travel and exploring the world. But along with discovering how beautiful Europe was, I was reminded of how nice life was back for me in India and how much I loved my country. This trip reinforced my love for my country and I was proud to be a representative.
Our Itinerary was
Brussels – 3 nights
Berlin – 9 nights
Prague – 6 nights
Vienna – 6 nights
Munich – 8 nights
We even managed to visit Salzburg during our stay in Munich.
We explored different cities at leisure and got a chance to feel the vibes of the city. Slow travel is definitely the way to be. I mean anyone can explore a city in a day or two and say they saw it, tick it off their bucket list. But when you are there, after having spent a ton of money, take some time out, relax. Discover things beyond what the tour guides tell you. Eat local. Stay with locals. Make friends and share stories.
This trip was all of that and so much more. It hasn’t managed to whet my appetite for discovering Europe and my curiosity to explore Eastern Europe has deepened with this visit.
More travel tales definitely coming up. There is a lot to share and a lot to write!!
Just as the titles start rolling, we enter the life of writer Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp) quite secretly through a window in his secluded house across a lake. Going through a rough divorce after he caught his wife cheating on him, Rainey’s daily life is nothing but moments of ennui. Apart from the view of a lake and what used to be a nice garden, there is nothing more left in the rusty life of the bestselling author.
But of course, life becomes much more interesting when John Shooter (John Turturro) knocks on his door accusing Rainey of “stealing his story”. Rainey takes a firm stand on his story being his original work and was published two years before Shooter wrote the story. Shooter accepts the possibility and asks for a copy of the magazine. He even agrees never to bother Rainey again if this is ture. But if Rainey…
Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do
A Beautiful Photograph by Copyleft Abhiraj. Like his Page on Facebook to show your appreciation for the photo
Over the last week, I have had a ton of stressful things happen and have had a big U Turn on my outlook for life. Needless to say, I realised we take life for granted and with everything that keeps us occupied these days, we forget to say so many things to the people we love. And when the chance comes to say, it never should happen to be too late to say a kind or loving word.
One of the posts I had read over the years is a story of a man, his grandmother and grandfather. The crux of the story is what the grandfather tells his grandson. “It is Always Easy to be CLEVER. Everyone can be clever. Be KIND.”
This, combined with the gravity of the situation that I am wrapped in, made me simply realise how much we denied our love for people. We’re always finding something or the other to hide behind, rather than melt in those feelings and share some quality time with our loved ones. Work, studies and everything seems to suddenly come in between birthdays, friendships, celebrations, traditions, festivals. And somehow, people and time don’t stay the same. We lose touch and find ourselves alone.
The solution? A simple I Love You. It helps to mend bridges, make friends and maintain the relations we’re in! Those 3 words are certainly the words that you need to hear after a tough day. Say it before you regret not having said it.Say it because you’ve always wanted to say it. Forget that image you need to keep or that silly fight you had or that disagreement. Maybe they have become slow with age and annoy you. Maybe you feel you don’t have time for them.
But, say it. Say it enough. There can never be a right time. There can never be a right moment. No date you can mark on your calendar. Just say it!
Here are 5 People You Need to say I LOVE YOU to As Soon As Possible
1. Your Mother
Yes she helps you around, pushes you towards all your commitments and helps out with projects. She stays up late at night simply to give you company when you’re swotting for an exam or to make sure you get your work done. She also makes you delicious drool-worthy food, everyday. There’s always your favorite goodies for your birthday or when you want to celebrate an occasion. She’s spent nights awake, when you’ve been ill. She’s the one who cries the most when you set out to explore the world and leave the nest. She’s the one who spends time hearing out your problems and always checks up on you once in a while, even if you forget.
Say I LOVE YOU to Mom (Mum, Mother, Mumma, Amma, Mami or anything you call her!!) today! Make her day!
2. Your Father
Your father can be your best friend. Or he can be the one you turn to when you need help planning something. He gives you those crucial life lessons because he’s been there and done that. He’s left so many of his dreams behind and laughed with you as you’ve grown up. He’s the rock behind your family and his influence always sets the way at how you look at the world and people. He works late nights and you don’t get time often, with him, but those holidays where you explore a hidden side to him you never knew. How about his wicked sense of humour you just recently discovered?
Say I LOVE YOU to Papa ( Father, Daddy, Dad, Papi,Abba, Baba or anything you call him!!) today!! Tell Papa you care!
3. Your Grandparents
They’ve given you goodies all your life. Whatever you’ve wanted, they’ve never said no. You can always expect a royal pampering when you meet them. Their sweaters kept you warm, that yummy food that granny made, always makes your mouth water. They’ve taken you to parks and laughed as you took your first step. They support you. You’re the apple of their eye. Maybe they are aging. They can’t see or remember as clearly as before. But you’re still that warm, fuzzy child they held in the hospital even after all these years. Time is of so much essence with your grandparents. Life will always go on but we live with a limited amount of time with the people who give us comfort that we carry through all our lives.
Say I LOVE YOU to Granny and Grandpa (Nana and Nani, Aaji and Ajoba or whatever you call them!!) today!! Visit them the next time you have a weekend off or just talk to them and involve them in your life. Hear those stories of their youth. Just do it!
4. Your Best Friend(s)
You’ve spent the best times of your life with him/her/them. All those good memories always make you laugh. They’ve supported you through thick and thin. They are the ones who know with one glance what is wrong with you. They’ve been to birthdays, celebrations and every other function you can think of. They’re the ones who make your life complete.
Life moves on and gets busy. You think of talking but then somehow you miss it. Don’t let those friends go!!
Say I LOVE YOU to them before life sweeps them away from you. Tell them that they matter!
5. Your Siblings and Cousins
They protect you from pain. They are the ones you talk to when you have any problems. You’ve always fought but they are the ones who know you and all your moods. Their light and frothy talk is what you need to cheer up. Secretly you feel like playing a prank on them or simply wrestling like when you were kids.
Say I LOVE YOU to just show them you care!!!
Now I seem to have covered everything yet missed out on the most important one!
6. YOURSELF!!
You matter. You. YOU’ve been your best friend for as long as you remember. When you’ve cried alone or been stressed alone, you’re the one who has supported yourself along the way. Your victorious heartbeat can silence any other sound on any given day. Isn’t it any wonder why we should say I Love You to ourselves first? We can lose ourselves anyday to any circumstance or situation. Life can snatch us anytime, without a prior warning. It never hurts to give your own self some love.
Say I Love You to YOU!!! Simply because You Deserve It. Simply because YOU EARNED IT!
To conclude, one of my favorite songs with really beautiful lyrics
So, I’m home studying for my upcoming exams, and I can’t help getting distracted (=during my breaks!) with my AirBnB app, looking at places in different cities I want to visit. I plan imaginary trips and somehow, life seems to reply by sending all sorts of travel posts on my Facebook Feed with news of a different nomad to be reading about!
Here are 7 Reasons Why Maybe You’re Just Meant To Be A Nomad!!
1. Looking for Places to Visit on Google just gives you a HIGH!
Now this one is a given!! Those posts about places you MUST visit and the “unexplored” make you daydream about finally going there. You’ve pinned so many websites on your Bucket List and you still have a knack for unearthing more. When you google a random place and start reading, you invariably jump to the Images, what you can explore, what are the “to-see” and already find yourself making plans in the future!
2. The Fear of Exploring New Places is Replaced by a Rush of Seeing New Sights for the FIRST TIME!
Travel is scary. Let’s face it, this is a daunting world. But that doesn’t scare you. You see those images and imagine what it would be like walking there and the fear is replaced by the unrestrained excitement of actually experiencing that place, or breathing that air and immediately capturing a piece for your memories. You’ve always wanted to head off alone, maybe talk to locals, capture those brilliant candid shots and just keep on saying “WOW” at every step!
3. The Allure of The Waiting World overshadows..well, just about everything!
There are 193 countries in the world, 7 continents, so many cities, towns, villages, breathtaking, stunning, gorgeous places just waiting for you. That thought itself overshadows the fact that, maybe you’re supposed to study for an exam, or get a job or… Oh well, I don’t know, my thoughts were overshadowed by Random Travel Plan#199
4. You’re a Foodie Waiting to have a Go at ALL the food you can get your hands on!
No I don’t mean you eat and eat till you burst! I mean you read about a different type of cuisine over what you eat, or what the local eatery serves and you find exotic cuisines that you want to try. What do people in Armenia eat? I’ve always wanted to try food cooked in a Tangine! And how about trying that French food you’ve always been scared to sample? Or maybe sauntering over to Laos and having wine with dried snake in it? If you’re eager, the world is a food heaven just waiting for you to come and sample it out!
5. You dream of visiting places people have not heard of!
Are places like Galapagos Islands, Nicaragua, Sicily, Mozambique and so many other places calling out to you? Have you a goal of going to 50 National Parks in your country before 50? Those places you never even knew existed till you looked them over a map? And when you tell people about your plans to visit, they just look flabbergasted because they never imagined there were places like this?
6. You’re more optimistic about finally making it to a place to do the costing
Costs are the single largest deterrent to travel across the world. But sometimes the optimism which comes from visiting a place and discovering a new culture, making new friends, making memories and being on your own, overshadows the economic costs that dent your balance. Maybe you’ve got a publisher waiting to hear your travails or you have a popular blog which you can monetise. But when you travel, a cost, in itself, is the least of your concerns!
7. You’re always up for a sudden, unplanned trip
Whenever someone plans a trip, you don’t need a second chance or a reminder. You’re in, with all the details worked out, or…well maybe not!! You probably are the one who initiates the idea and the place. Your group is always in flux with new people joining in and becoming a part of a large circle of friends you call “travel buddies”
There!! I’ve got all my excitement out here!! Also my first list and number post!! I’m sure some of these points are so not what nomads might think characterise them, but what the who!! You can have more people happy about travel in the world!!
I am Homeward Bound 