Travel = Living?

Have you ever at least observed, leave alone thinking about it, that more often than not, we tend to feel closer to people after going on a trip with them? I am pretty much sure that you must have come across quite a few instances during your college days, where new “pairs” form or old pairs break up for new partners, leaving some poor souls in lurch. All after THAT college tour! Apdi tourukku approm thanni adikka aarambicha pasanga/ponnunga ethana ethana!!! ;)

Not just romance, but also friendship also takes a different color and strength after an outing. Have you ever wondered why? They say relationships take time to build. Speaking relativistically, what happens during a tour is that you are accelerating that process. Remember? According to relativity theory, time is another dimension of space. By traveling across physical space, you make up for the extra time that would be needed for the relationship to grow.

What essentially happens behind this common phenomenon has got a lot to do with our inhibitions. After multiple years of mind-numbing education, we tend to seek reasons to let go of ourselves; we need "reasons" to break the invisible barriers we have built around us. And given a different setting/background, it is easier for us to let our guards down. A different place helps us to let open the windows to our own selves. That helps us to see more of ourselves as well as others.

Come to think of it, all that makes the difference is how much we observe. When we travel, we tend to observe a lot, particularly because we are not in a mad rush as we have “apparently nothing worthwhile” to do.

If you have ever felt your life “richer” after a trip, it is all because of the simple fact that you have literally “filled” yourself with so many things that you observed.

Observation is the best antidote for the numbing grayness of life. In fact, that very grayness is due to the lack of observation. Typically, when we travel, we tend to carry the “cozy cubicle” along with us: stay in star hotels, travel first class or at least 2 tier AC and drive in AC vehicles. And when you are in the same “cubicle” of your life, you tend to lose your skills to observe, which made you look at everything with wonder in your eyes when you were a child.

Being a addict of the Travel & Living stuff (especially lonely planet/globetrekker – Ian Wright, Justine … ooohhh Shapiro and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations), I am all for venturing out at least a bit out of our cozy cubicles, if not outright break out of it. Instead of eating that dumb buffet, get out and have a chaat on the street; briskly walk through the bazaars instead of lazing around in the well-lit showrooms; get the flavor and taste of the place you go to. Damn sure, you would feel “full” of life! ;)

In fact, you don’t have to go too far to break the tedium of your life! Just stop and have a tea at that corner tea stall on the way that you have been riding through every day but you never bothered to stop at. Mind you, the grayness is due to the “been there, done it all” attitude, which essentially is out of the “very predictable routine” of your life.

So, plan chaos.

Aside:

Interesting movies based on travel: Motorcycle Diaries (fantastic one on Che Guevara's early days) and our own "anbe sivam"! Please let me know of your other recommendations! ;)