Traveling for more than 250 days in 2017, this year I vowed to slow down. It is not that I am bored of traveling or that too much of travel is bothering me. I love travelling as much as I love myself, but somewhere I realised that the meaning of traveling has changed for me over a period of time, and to preserve its sanity I need to travel slow.
From what started as an intense desire to witness the exquisiteness of Incredible India has actually become a journey of self-exploration. This is not something I am admitting for the first time. I have become far more tolerant than I was since the time I started traveling. But constant traveling is making me realise few things about life, and I am more than happy to learn from it.
From Destination to a Journey: I don’t simply crave for places anymore. Those never-ending dream lists of travel and crazy adventures I used to write and maintain has taken a backseat, and I decided not to make any new list this year. I have come to believe that instead of running from one place to another, it is better to enjoy where you are right now.
It really amuses me when I see people making random travel plans and crying over places that we want to go here, we want to go there. I am simply amazed at my changed attitude that how content I have become with life that I do not crave to go anywhere. From that desire “to go, run and “see everything” because I might not get a chance to come back again”, my attitude has changed to relax, enjoy and do whatever you want to. If it is going to happen, it will happen, but enjoy the present moment at least.
From Solo to Travel Partners: In an era where going solo has almost become synonymous with celebrity label, I chose to change my preference and rather endure the company of my loved ones.
And I am not afraid to admit it as well. I realised that it is not impacting my image in any way because those who love to read my travel experiences are going to read it anyway. I don’t really need to fake it. Frankly, I shall remain grateful that I chose to travel solo for over 1000 days because this has made me realise that no matter how much we choose to do things ourselves, we all miss those precious moments we build with our family. And believe me, those are the real treasures that you will cherish all your lives.
I am just back from a family trip and what a roller coaster ride it has been! We left home for Uttarakhand but chose to change our plans mid-way for Patnitop in Himachal because they wanted to see the snow. While we were preparing ourselves for that 1000 km ride, one of our car batteries gave up mid-way. And there we were, changing the car batteries to Amaron, which I guess worked for us as our car ran smooth and long after that.
From Patnitop we planned to move to Srinagar, and while we were on our way to Kashmir, we were informed of bad rains and a possible landslide which made us change our plan further. While this was happening, all I and my family were doing was laughing hard at our stupidities and enjoying every moment with each other. I have done all this during my solo travels as well, but somehow traveling with family and friends has another fun altogether.
Of Motivation and Inspiration: You don’t really need to go out to find inspiration to work towards something because it is embedded in every corner is what I have learnt. Even a small kid is an inspiration because he knows how to stay happy always. Not only this, a kid knows how to change your mood instantly.
Or the motivation when we see people living in extreme conditions and still surviving, you tend to stop making excuses for your own life. You stop complaining and start appreciating the things you have. Isn’t it? For me, I have come to realise that when you stop complaining is when things will start happening in your life. There is no way that you can’t build a life of your dreams. You just need to be motivated enough to align yourself with it, and things will start happening without you even realising it.
How is travel changing you? Let me know in the comment section below.
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S_Buoyantfeet 
Thank you for writing this – I find it very relatable as when I started traveling I would have this itinerary of things to do in case I never return here again and I would feel like I have failed if I haven’t ticked everything off my list. Now I more enjoy the joy of the moment – even if it means I sit on the beach all day and I don’t see anything “new” – however I don’t know about traveling with my entire family they would drive me crazy! One more person is sufficient for me!
Nice! Good to know that you have rediscovered yourself, because that’s what travel is supposed to do. Besides, travel isn’t about destinations. It’s about experiences. And yes, it’s so much fun to travel with loves ones. 🙂
I agree. I somehow feel that Travel is so much over hyped now that we have forgotten its true value to showcase a perfect life. We really need to learn enjoying traveling again. Be with solo or the loved ones 🙂
Great article, I travel to India only once and for just three weeks but it was such an intense experience and one that completely changed my perspective on many things!
Your post makes eminent sense, especially when I see a lot of people dashing about in a mad rush, collecting countries and destinations. Those who have embraced travel presumably as a way to step aside from the rat race have turned travel itself into a rat race. I wonder what’s the point, if you are not pausing to take in and experience what travel offers you.
You travelled for 200+ days in 2017? Wow, that’s a lot! I love travelling myself but I am not sure I can handle so much of it either. I do relate to a lot of things in your post though – about what has changed for you when it comes to the meaning of travel. I have experienced similar things – the desire to take it slow and easy, enjoy the moment instead of running to the next place, trying to cover as much as possible. I think that’s a learning that comes over a period of time, when you travel a lot. Also, I love to travel with my loved ones, especially my family.
What an inspirational write-up you have done here! I think that the more you travel, the more you learn not just about the world but life in general. It inspires you to look inside yourself and do some reflecting. And that is exactly what you’ve showcased here.
You definitely has travelled a lot in 2017! It sounds similar to me in 2016, and I have faced a similar change in my meaning of travel too. I think it’s always so important to still appreciate the NOW and enjoy even the place that you call your base. I have started to do that, and it’s been amazing what I have been able to see and do that I didn’t even know ever existed here. It’s made me appreciate slow travel so much more, and like you, reduce that craving for new places.
I so agree with the title and content of your post. We get so busy tick marking the number of destinations we have been to that we forget the real joy of travel is in the journey, not in the destination. Congratulations for having a brilliant 2017. I see a lot of pictures from Ladakh. That place changed me forever 🙂
That’s an interesting post! Yes, once you begin traveling, its just so much to see & do and then after a couple years, things do change which you may not have expected to at all… Yes, while solo travel has its own awesomeness, traveling with your loved ones is special in its own way!
This is great! The quality of writing coupled with a great choice of topic and photographs that inexplicably sum up the moments you had on your journey is what makes this article awesome. Kudos! 🙂
In this fast paced world, I loved reading something that said , ‘be slow, enjoy, take time’. There is actually no point in running from one place to another. Travel has a different meaning for each one of us. I am glad it has changed your perspective in a better way.
It’s good that you are changing your ways to travel. That’s what traveling does- it keeps changing our perspective towards life and places.