I've recently come to the realization that traveling (for anything other than work) is a privilege, in many ways. Life happens and often gets in the way of these breaks and more ambitious travel goals. Maybe it’s family commitments, a new hobby class you’re going to, or just having to catch up on sleep from your new job, or 50 other reasons why you’re just unable to plan that next trip.
I recently went on a hurried and mini road trip with my family to Murudeshwar and Gokarna (The western coast of Karnataka). We couldn’t plan a longer one since everyone had different commitments, but my mom had wanted to visit Gokarna for a long time and I didn’t want to deny her this pleasure. I wasn’t looking forward to it. 3 days? what are we even going to do? I’d rather stay home. Is it even worth it? Oh man, I have that thing from work I have to finish. What is even the purpose of life?
Random thoughts plagued me. I’d been in a fragile mental space for the past few months, and this added to it. The road helped. Cool breeze, good music, infinite horizons, and lots of time to be left with your thoughts - which is both a good and a terrible thing. It reminded me of this book I had read - Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
After ~9 hours on the road, we reached this quaint BnB in a mid-way town called Kumta. It was beautifully set - right on the beach, with a mini mangrove and hammocks everywhere. I immediately felt calm and grateful.
TZT* #1 - Travel helps you get out of your head and into the real world. Here and now.
Over the next two days, we visited the Murudeshwar temple, mild-hiked across some of the beaches in Gokarna, and tried local coastal food. On one of the evenings, we visited the Gokarna main market. It was a tiny town with narrow lanes. I’d been there years ago. It felt the same, almost nothing had changed. Lots more foreigners I noticed, but the old rustic vibe was very much vibing. The last time I was there was with a long-lost lover. I was afraid some memories would come flooding back, but thankfully they didn’t, it was a different time, and I was a different me.
We had a very unique dinner experience at a small house in the market - the women of the family had turned the porch of their 100-year old home into a mini diner, they did this each night! simple, tasty, home-cooked food 🤌🏼 just 5 women were cooking and serving everyone. Everyone was happy and enjoying their simple and delicious meal. It was a nice people-watching session for me.
I do not really know how to conclude this article. I just want to point out that travel is one of those states of happiness that money can bring (more often than not). Especially when you want to take your family along and ensure their comfort. So whether it's a trip to “discover” ourselves or just a vacation, each time we travel, let's remember to be a bit more grateful and mindful of the privilege we have :)
Sukha Puri*
In Sri Lanka, you can rent an auto and drive it around yourself - https://tuktukrental.com/
Up In The Air: A movie about travel and minimalism
SkyScanner: A flight search engine. Karthik uses this to find flights but he books them on the corresponding airlines’ websites.
*Sukha Puri: the complementary dry puri usually served after having a round of gol gappa on the street side
*Traveling Zen Thoughts
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