INSIDE MY MIND WITH ZIL

“Mom, I am going on a solo trip!” she finally declared on the phone.

It was Friday morning and the start of the weekend for this part of the world. Her roommate was still sleeping and thus, she was huddled on the passage floor talking to her mom back in Mumbai.

The passage was rather small and had no windows. The only source of light was from the window of the tiny kitchen to her right. Opposite her was a small wooden cupboard which stored all the common daily use items accessible to all. On the top of the cupboard, you could see the bottle of drinking water on the right and a small temple with Hindu deities on the left.

She glanced up at the temple praying silently that her mother would take it positively. This trip really meant something to her. It was going to be her first ever solo trip.

“Why do you want to go alone?” came a strained question from the other end.

“Mom, I always wanted to go on a solo trip. And I think this is the right time!” she replied while playing with the wire of her earphones. But in her heart, she knew that this trip is something she really needs. A break from everything going on in her life.

She could perfectly picture herself happily roaming the cobbled streets of some European country and enjoying getting lost. In her mind, she was already trying out the new cuisine, talking to the locals and making new friends.

What more? She gets to explore a new country and learn about a new culture.

“Soul Searching” – she would later tell to her puzzled brother. That is what she really felt the trip would help her do. No worries, nobody to judge her. She can just be herself.

Well, she did have a memorable adventure roaming the streets of Bulgaria while trying to find herself again!

"To travel is to take a journey into yourself" - Danny Kaye

To read the next post (continuation) - A trip down the memory lane – the arrival