17 States and counting..

A world called 'India'

This is not a blog where I will be talking about 17 states I have visited till now, rather I would talk about what I have gained from those trips and what others should look for when they travel.

Long before I started this blog, many have asked me one question time and again: "How come you travel so much?". "I love to travel" is what I replied most of the time in the most cliched way. But love for traveling is only one of the many things that push or motivate one to travel in real life. Most people, around us, love to travel but very few succeed in packing their backpacks for a trip. Several reasons and commitments come to the surface when one wants to visit Jaisalmer just to witness the spectacular star constellation at night. In today's fast-paced world, one gets tangled in the web of fierce competition that society creates, and thus adding one more place to the itinerary takes a backseat.

Flower Hill at Matheran

Defining and prioritizing your commitments is an important factor that can ensure a healthy relationship between your work and your passion for traveling. A wise man once said: " No one is actually busy when one pretends to be, it goes down to one's priority list. ". **

Sunrise at Nandi Hills

Waterfall at Matheran

Traveling is an experience of places, of people, and of oneself. One should not travel just for the sake of it, or just to post pictures of the trip on Instagram or Facebook. Traveling enriches us and broadens our thoughts. Someone has rightly said: " Travel far enough and you shall find yourself. ".

GOOOAAAHH

Innocence

I have met people; someone who was a boat sailor who taught me that AUTO is for kids and MANUAL is for masters; someone who was an IT professional and also an OLA cab driver (on weekends), someone who was a saint serving free food to travelers at the top of Mahendra Giri hills, someone who once went to jail for theft, now guiding people on how to live a respectful life. These are some kinds of people you meet when you open yourself to the world. One should never hesitate to talk to people as they teach that life has always been challenging and everyone has problems but one should combat these challenges and problems with hard work. It is a no-brainer that hard work always pays off. 

Marina Beach

Puri Beach

You meet people when you travel, you get inspired, you get someone inspired and you witness a world outside your zone and you inculcate something valuable from it in you. Psychologically, people sometimes (or in some cases, most of the time) do not know what they actually have gained from their travel, and neither they ponder on it. But whatever they have gained from their experience, a major part of it goes into their subconscious mind which later helps and guides them in their life to take decisions.

Besant Nagar Beach

India is a country, we say, but I see India as a world. That said, the beauty of India lies in its diversity and by diversity I mean diversity in people, religion, culture, geography, language, and food. There is a famous saying that says: " You see a different India with every 10 kilometers. ". With 17 states down off my bucket list, I strongly believe in the above statement. As a traveler, what I feel is that the people here in India are always open for travelers and for someone who wants to know and experience their culture and tradition. Having the "Atithi Devo Bhava" principle in the backdrop, Indians are known for their warm hospitality.

Yes, we worship COWS

Whenever I visit any place what I always do is talk to local people (not the local guides who bee around you at tourist spots). They can be anyone; cab driver, rickshaw-wala, street shop vendor, dhaba-wala, or just the pedestrians. It is them who have more knowledge about the place than Google. They can easily guide you to the cheapest places to get anything, recommend you about happening places (sans crowd ) in and around the city, or help you to experience authentic local cuisine.

Rajasthani Thali

Google Maps advice: It is one of the apps which can really get you in the trouble (real BIG trouble) if you do the mistake of fully relying on its suggestions. This advice comes with experience. So take your chances if you eat, sleep, speak trouble. 😛

Jaisalmer

Reading my blog, you may be sitting in your cubicle or just lying lazily on your bed or couch, you would be wondering about the places you have visited, if not, then you are now. Did you recall talking to someone stranger? Did you recall having the best meal of your life while traveling? Did you recall any incident that you want to cherish for the rest of your life? If YES, then you are having a good time with your life, if NOT, then remember; 'it's never too late'.

Get the traveler / biker / adventure junkie / photographer / volunteer / learner / globetrotter out of you, THE WORLD IS CALLING.

If you loved reading this story I wrote for you, you could at least buy me a coffee ☕, or else if you know someone who would love reading about this, please share this story with them. Just do the good deed. Cheers. 🙌

Until the next time...

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