Wonders of Traveling

What food is to the stomach, traveling is to the soul. At least to some wanderlust just like me. Travel always has its way of reviving me, changing my perspective about many things, places and cultures.

For me the fun of travel does not start upon reaching the ultimate destination but begins with the trip itself. Of all the modes of transportation, I enjoy roadtrip best. The drive to a destination affords me to be one with time, moving along the road with each second. I enjoy feeling the speed and motion as the car traverses each mile of winding road; I bask at the freedom of a vast highway, bounded only by the white and yellow lines dividing the lanes. I like seeing the ray of the sun directly hitting a melting asphalt on a hot summer afternoon. And those stops at makeshift cafes along countryside dirt roads remind me that a warm cup of java does not always have to be in a Styrofoam cup with the green logo. It can also be had in aluminium cups or recycled instant coffee jars efficiently holding the piping hot local brew. The taste can be just as nice or even better when sipped along with a native delicacy, and the cool breeze of mountain air naturally fanning the steam out of the coffee.

The changing vista as I move from one city to the other reminds me that there’s a world of diversity out there. Life can be lived in more ways than one. City dwellers might be happy with all the shiny malls, cafes, fastfood joints and all the other concrete contraptions. But as I move away from city limits and closer to the countryside, I can see lots of faces beaming with smiles amid dust and grime and sometimes aridness too. These are people who are oblivious to and bereft of all the modern amenities. And yet, they seem to be capable of having the same happiness quotient as those who are in the so-called advanced era, i.e., modern age.

Closer to the city, I can’t help but be amused by all the billboards lining left and right, myriad of brands vying for the attention of a traveller. Farther from the city, the billboards give way to sturdy trees, green and lush, and without a doubt yielding better vistas than all the billboards combined.

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