L O N E T R A V E L L E R

Being the younger sibling and the youngest of all in my family, I was always brought up with lot of care and concern in everything I did. It had lot of advantages too, having so many people to look up to, imitate, trouble, love and to be loved. Freedom and individuality were always a part of my up-bringing but it was after my ‘school life’ that these things became an integral part of my life.

It was after my first year of junior college, I came across this program on the channel ‘travel and living’, and got to know about the existence of a place called ‘Auroville’it was then I decide to go there after the much hyped HSC examination.

Auroville is 6 kms away from Pondicherry and since my sister ashwini was studying in Bangalore I decided to take a bus down to Pondicherry and spend a week all by myself exploring the place and its people. When I reached Auroville for the first time things weren’t the way one sees on television. Things are shown much easier, well edited and brighter on television I must say. I had to start from finding accommodation by myself. Knowing nothing about the place, the language, the people and also my first vacation all alone.

My friends and family often ask me the reason for traveling alone, they often ask me if I get scared. If I feel lonely or lost.

Well to start with traveling alone is scary at times at least when you are going to a place you haven’t been before. Or the place none of your family members have been. The first thing that hits you is the language. According to familiar language is one of the things which make you comfortable in any part of the world. Traveling alone helps you find the real meaning of the word Freedom. Freedom of doing things you are there for, not waiting for anyone. Not asking for anybodies permission. Its you who decides what is right and wrong. I strongly believe that ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ are two hypothetical terms which exist in the not so ‘hypothetical’ world we live in.

When we are in our own city with friends and family we are used to doing things collectively. Our lives are influenced by many others, unknowingly. But then independence has a different meaning because we are in a very familiar atmosphere. Where everything is known to us. Both people and the place. So staying alone in your own city or traveling alone or earning for yourself wouldn’t really mean independence for me.

For me traveling alone helps me know myself and things that bother me. Because when I am with my parents these things are taken care of. It helps you plan things the way you want to, helps you explore people around you and gives you a different dimension towards life. Why we talk to people, why we know them and how unknown people help you in difficult times away from home. One starts believing in oneself and realizes that being alone is nothing but just spending time with ‘you’. And trust me you would automatically start becoming comfortable, liking the environment, knowing your weaknesses and hey, isn’t life all about this? You will slowly start finding the reason why some things bother you and why some things don’t.

Its all about knowing yourself, because I believe if you actually start exploring yourself you would realize that there is so much inside you, your talents, your inner voice, your attitude towards life and you would spend a lifetime knowing yourself.:)