Why do We Feel The Urge To Travel!
Abhijit Das
June 1, 2024 . 8 Minute read
Ok, But Not Okay!
Meet Mahesh, a 30-year-old software engineer by both compulsion and passion. His life is sorted! He wakes up in the morning, does his workout, has a protein-rich breakfast, goes to work (work he loves to do— coding), comes back from work once he is satisfied with his productivity that day, cooks a protein-rich dinner and sleeps on time, to be able to do the same the next day.
He is so disciplined and good at what he does every day that things happen almost automatically. He kind of sleepwalks through the daily activities. It took time for him though, to reach this state of perfection, to grow in his career, to figure out the right workout routine, to figure out the diet perfect for his health, the right amount of sleep, choose the right perfume which caters to his personality and many other things.
But off late, Mahesh has been sensing something wrong with him. He is…to his surprise…bored! He is bored with himself, his daily routine, the monotony and the lack of challenges in his life.
“I need a break! What the heck?”
He tries to figure it out every night before he goes to sleep. This is all he wanted and he achieved it after a lot of struggle.
Why is he suddenly having the urge to break the system he has built over the years?
What’s this sudden FOMO all about?
What does he want deep inside?
Is he living life to the fullest?
After grabbing some pints of beer on a random weekend and having them with his favourite cheat meal (Mutton Sheekh Kababs), he thinks and thinks and thinks and comes to the conclusion that — All the work and healthy disciplined life is okay but sometimes all he wants is — Get on a plane and land in a totally different place!
But why? To find out the answers he plans for a trip.
The Manifestation
Planning the perfect trip is no easy task. Leave the right place and the right itinerary, Mahesh takes a week to even decide what he likes most — Sea or Mountain?
Mahesh realises the last time he took a proper trip was to Goa. It was three years ago with his cousins. Mahesh found it ‘hectic’ and still thinks it could have been done in two days rather than five unnecessary days, hampering his work. Work is worship after all for him!
“Sea it is…” Mahesh concludes one day. He hasn’t been to the mountains for ages. So sea is somewhat of a known territory for him. The next task he assigns himself is to find a companion. He asks almost every friend of his. One friend even accepts the offer but eventually backs out, citing his father’s health issues.
“Ekla cholo re…” He decides.
Mahesh decides where to go — Pondicherry! Somewhat close to Goa but not exactly Goa. He checks his work schedule and realizes that he can manage a maximum of two days as there is a major production release to be delivered to the client. Those two days are Saturday and Sunday. He checks the flight availabilities — they are rare and the prices are sky-high for him. He checks the hotels — almost all are booked and the available hotel tariffs are sky-high too. As he never thought he would have to invest in a vacation, he never saved for it. And there’s no point in taking a vacation after a month or two. He needs it now!
Mahesh is distraught. Finding a suitable place to visit within his budget and time constraints is increasing his already existing ‘headache’.
Mahesh almost gives up and decides to go back to his work when the doorbell rings. He opens the door and sees a guy standing at the door.
“Yes?”
“Hi, I am from the crime branch, Mumbai Police.”
Mahesh looks puzzled.
“Just kidding, I am your neighbour. I was going on a bike trip. Are you free?”
If it was a few weeks back, Mahesh would have definitely told the guy to get lost.
“Umm…Where?”
“Ah…nearby. Get ready. I am waiting at the parking.”
Mahesh just sat back and let the guy take him wherever he wanted to. Maybe, he was too tired to think about anything.
They reach their destination after a two-hour ride and throughout the road trip, Mahesh witnesses visuals of landscapes, trees, waterfalls, people, and other vehicles. He notices the milestones, trying to get a hang of where they are headed. River, 30 km, the milestone reads and the next thing he knows is he is blinking at another sign which reads River, 05 km. He doesn’t recollect what happened during those 25 km as he goes into a trance-like state along the deserted highway. It is normal for others but fresh and something he has never seen before.
They reach a riverside which is desolate and devoid of any other being. The dusk is about to fall and his biker friend takes out two beer cans.
“Cheers! Don’t worry. Let’s chill here until the beer wears off.”
Mahesh curses himself for not knowing such a beautiful place so close to where he has been living for years. He is mesmerized by the lack of electricity and yet the brightness of the place, thanks to the full moon.
After a while, Mahesh realizes the guy is gone, not with his bike of course. It feels as if the guy is Godsend and the whole thing feels so unreal to him. He is alone, sitting by the river shore. And he doesn’t care to find that guy. He notices a shimmering light at a distance in the river. It’s a boat which is sailing as slowly as it can. The man sailing the boat doesn’t seem to have any deadline to meet.
Mahesh doesn’t notice how time passes as he finishes his beer. The guy comes back and they have a long chat. The extroversion of the biker guy helps him open up and he spills out every cat out of the bag. The conversation keeps going deeper and continues on their way back.
The Realization
They come back to Mahesh’s place and order dinner and some more booze. The guy explains his wanderlust and how he was getting mad for not being able to go for a bike ride in a long time. He the importance of travelling, and how it helps rewire the human brain.
“We are not meant to do the same thing over and over again. We have been travelling and travelling for ages. It started when we, the Homo Sapien species evolved in the continent which is Africa. We travelled all over the world for thousands of years, settled down, and travelled again.
“The saints and the sages, for example, travelled all over to propagate the message of love and peace. In earlier days, people who were having trouble in their lives used to go on pilgrimage, that too on foot. It’s a must to travel once a year. Our mind and heart needs new visuals, new sounds, new weather, new food, new people. And we can do that without hampering our day-to-day stuff only by travelling.”
“Thanks for knocking on that door…” is all Mahesh can say before they parted ways after dinner.
Mahesh realizes everything doesn’t have to be perfect in life. To find perfection in his daily life and work, he was missing out on so many things. He also realizes having a holiday doesn’t take huge planning and a lot of money. A holiday can be kept simple and cheap by riding a bike to that serene place he just came back from.
The next morning, Mahesh wakes up, opens his laptop, launches a travel app, and books a vacation to Greece that’s going to happen in six months. Better late than never they say!
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