Travel Jottings Of a Commoner

Who would want to read the travel diary of an ordinary person? Well, there could be commonalities if you are one of many who so eagerly visit the place where you were born and raised. In that light, I share my story.

I walk into a house impeccably clean after an absence of three weeks. This gave me a good feeling after the tiredness of a long flight, an unavoidable part of an India trip. I complimented the two men on their housekeeping skills. They had arrived a couple of weeks earlier than me, and I felt they had done an outstanding job.

Honesty took over the younger guy who felt guilty to accept the praise. “Not really! The downstairs was in quite a mess. It was a last-minute thing that Dad and I did before your flight landed. We did not want you to be disappointed.” The older one silently smiled after the beans were spilled.

Gratitude is what I practice in life, so it did not matter to me when they cleaned the place. I am thankful that they managed well without me and made it possible for me to spend some extra time with my family. Hopping between two cities, I was fortunate to celebrate Diwali in India after thirty-three years!

Here are some beautiful takeaways from my trip. 

If I were to be accused of behaving like an irresponsible teenager, I would have proclaimed myself “guilty as charged” without thinking twice. Sometimes it is okay to be lazy and dependent, and I was so. It needs to be remembered that such luxury is offered only when you are flying to your parents’ nest and to your hometown. I would say that the pampering was done by all in the family- from my husband’s side and mine- and I was enjoying it to the core !

A new honor has been bestowed upon me recently. I have been elevated to the position of a grand-aunt! With a nephew and a niece of my better half attaining parenthood, I got to meet for the first time two adorable munchkins who absolutely melted my heart.

It was a role reversal of sorts when I had stepped out with my nieces on a couple of occasions. Those days do not seem too far behind when I had held them by their little hands wherever they accompanied me. The girls have grown up in the blink of an eye! This time around, I took the backseat as they guided me on where to shop, where to eat out, or anything else on which I sought their advice. It was a special feeling.

An impromptu meeting with a few childhood friends reinforced what I have always believed in. Our ties have remained as strong as ever. No matter when and after how long we meet, we can always start from the point we left off the last time.

Whoever coined the phrase “older and wiser” did so with a reason. As we age, we recognize the power of simple thoughts and actions that we might have perhaps taken for granted when we were younger. There were people who I happened to meet after many years but for a very short duration. Their warmth and eagerness felt so genuine that I couldn’t help but realize that after all, it is love and the humane connection which act as catalysts to make our lives more meaningful.

A visit to my alma mater flooded me with so many memories from the past. Going to the convent to see my high-school headmistress brought in pure joy. Her positivity and optimism at 92 are exemplary. As affectionate as ever, she treated me like the school girl I was once upon a time. Her unconditional love and concern for me have cemented the path of our relationship and are the reasons why we have stayed connected for over 43 years now.

It happens if it has to, as they say. After missing each other with our hurried schedules in the first city, I caught up with a lovely friend of mine in Delhi. We spent a fabulous evening together, talking about so many things under the sun just like we usually do.

A fun little final note with the two S’s

Something coordinated and something coincidental gave an interesting twist to my journey back to the USA. While the date of the flight was planned with my friend Susmita, I was pleasantly surprised to see another friend of mine, Samir, emerging from somewhere to board the same plane. Yet another example of the world being a small place. You do not know who you meet where!

Jetlag and homesickness at the same time are quite a horrible combo. On top of that, I felt that upon my return, the weather, with its gloominess, had conspired against me. This morning however, I once again saw the bright sun and the blue skies. A welcome change to wean myself of missing my parents’ home and to look forward to another exciting trip the next time.