What’s one piece of travel advice you always follow?
When one thinks of childhood, travelling with family. It is often a beautiful memory, a comfortable journey, an experience very unique of its kind. It’s not until later we realise the care given by our parents and elders to make sure that we end up having what most of us end up calling one of the best moments of our lives.
The first long trip with friends, college years, taking responsibility for my own basic needs, very limited experience and saved up budget, all the confidence to conquer the world but nothing substantial to back it up, guidance and instructions of parents limited to the boundaries of the household.
We all set out with the imaginary ceremony of us setting out like warriors with swords and shields. I do like to recall it with focus on the good parts, but it is like a movie shot of a few friends peacefully having breakfast on a beautiful morning, near the beach, the scene occasionally cuts to some of the more uncomfortable experiences like a glitch on the television. The arguments, the fights, falling ill, thinking in silence of spoken words whether this was a good idea.
I learnt a few things back then, first it is quite different, to spend a limited time of a day with someone and then spending almost the entire 24 hours with the same person. When you stay for almost 24 hours, you begin to notice what was initially ignored, the lines of limitation.
Second, something that also resulted in being one of the best travel advices for me; just because you are at a different place amongst food items with a particular taste that might be native to that place, along with the unique experience of being at that place, that does not mean you have to make your meals a literal buffet, ordering and eating more than what you would usually do.
Your body does not start working differently just because you are on vacation and decided to enjoy it more than what’s needed. Nothing is worse on a trip than falling ill. Of course, falling ill is never a good thing, you don’t feel well mentally and physically, but if it happens of your own fault on a trip, then you have not only ended up ruining some good parts of your trip, but you have also added concerns to the minds of those with you.
When on your own, a little awareness of things whether on a trip or in life, can go a long way in making the journey smoother and memorable.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
