Day 6:About Traveling alone and Being Still

I know the pandemic has made us grow roots in a single place rather than trotting around the globe. We can no longer escape the banality of our daily lives by climbing the mountains or dipping in the oceans. It made me revisit the memories of my last vacation.

Over the years, the way I see the world and how I navigate through it, has evolved a lot. There is no restlessness that make me want to be somewhere else rather than enjoying where I am. This realization dawned on me when I was in the mountains around this time, last year.

I was in between jobs and had a two weeks break. Fortunately I got an entire apartment through airbnb for my 10 days vacation. It was a small village. No hustle bustle, only very few people around, who looks at you rather curiously and shy away from having a conversation. It worked perfectly well for an introvert like me. I had a bunch of books to read and my days started with a piping hot black coffee. The balcony near my room opened up to a garden which had many flowers smiling throughout the day. The nearby trees had many varieties of birds visiting early in the morning. I used to wake up to their sweet melodies.After having breakfast, I would go for a walk in the woods. It was not a thick forest. There was a hidden stream inside the woods and some days I sat near the stream and dipped my feet in the ice cold water. There was no other sound other than water gurgling, wind howling with the constant orchestra provided by the crickets. In the afternoon, I went back to my place for lunch and a short nap. There were evening walks as well. But I was fairly warned by the caretaker to be back before it is too dark since there were leopards and bears. I didn't want to be in their way for obvious reasons. My typical day in the mountains looked like this. Other than meeting a snake once in the woods, the trip was inconsequential. But it is the sort of vacation that recharges your battery within a short amount of time.

I had the chance to visit many famous places while I was there. But I didn't feel the urge. The place I stayed itself was beautiful. I didn't need to be anywhere else. I also learned that we heal ourselves by being still and paying attention to the here and now.