To Travel or Not to Travel..

I have been raring to go, my restless feet ready for the next pit-stop in life for as long as I remember.  Thanks to my father who had a transferable job, our family moved every two to three years. And in those days, trains were the only reasonable mode of transport across the country. So, it was four to five days in the train across a minimum of six to seven states in the country. Some of the best childhood memories; the long waits (the longest was 11 hours I think) at the railway stations where my sister came out with her own edition of India’s Got Talent dancing, hopping, singing, running, jumping, and what not, trying to convince our father to buy from every vendor that crossed our paths ( our father would be all game but my mother would be throwing daggers at us with her eyes), the counting of trucks, cars, tractors, while our parents enjoyed rounds of rummy, the endless rounds of snacks, scanning and memorizing every bit of action in Tinkle, Archies Digest, and Enid Blyton books, our imagination running wild loaded with the stories from the books and with the nonstop onslaught of characters entering our coupe. Thank goodness we didn’t have mobile phones back then! 

I believe that in India, we have many constraints preventing us from travelling. Primarily, we think it is a waste of money!  Money is something which needs to be accumulated in the banks not to be touched unless it is an emergency. Travel experience is not seen as a value addition in life and definitely not considered as an experience. It is true that money is a constraint for lot of people. If I was not lucky enough to get the funding for my ventures and study abroad, I don’t think I would have been able to self- finance. Our parents' generation had lot of liabilities and limited income at their perusal and they provided us with their best. But I am not referring to them! I am talking about those who have the money and are still hesitant and guilty about spending it. I am hollering out to those who continue to hang onto what they have for the future…I am not implying that you take a loan or go bankrupt to fund your travel! Please be reasonable. Keep aside for the future and then plan accordingly.

Some of our parents are still saving in case WE need the money! Please tell them that you are grown up enough to manage and although you love their blessings, they should spend their hard-earned money to explore things they always wanted to. Most of them also reason that they are happiest spending time with us and playing with their grand kid. I would say you do that for some part of the year but plan something else for the rest of the year!

I also believe that not everyone loves to travel. I am married to a superman who travels only when he needs to save the world and keeps a close watch on the planet through the magic box and his universal remote. He saves on his frequent flier miles and invests in the best of Scottish exports. Add some entertainment and best buddies and he has his vacation mapped out right where he sits. 

It is 2020 and our lives and times have already undergone decades of evolution; we are open to new ideas and new ways of broadening our world view. Our Prime Minister himself advised us to visit at least 15 local destinations by the year 2022 to promote domestic tourism[i].

So, I say why not? Flex your muscles, oil your joints, spread your wings …the world is at your feet!

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[i] “The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹16.91 lakh crore (US$240 billion) or 9.2% of India's GDP in 2018 and supported 42.673 million jobs, 8.1% of its total employment.[2] The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.9% to ₹32.05 lakh crore (US$450 billion) by 2028 (9.9% of GDP).[3] In October 2015, India's medical tourism sector was estimated to be worth US$3 billion, and it is projected to grow to US$7–8 billion by 2020.[4]” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_India
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