Andaman Islands.
I embarked on my first solo trip on 12th
January 2015 and that day I realised how
rudimentary my idea of the term ‘living’
had been ever since I gained consciousness,
up until now.
The minute we entered Andaman airspace,
my sight shot out of the window. I held my
breath and my world stopped. I fell in love,
I fell in love with that place and it was the
first time I ever realised that apart from
people, one could fall sincerely in love with
places too. That thought took few minutes
to sink in my practical and pessimistic
mind.
Andaman welcomed a scared, skeptic, lost
girl from Delhi, with a warmth of a mother
and it ushered me with the sheer revelation
of what it meant to be alive. Suddenly it
dawned on me, all the beautiful texts, vivid
imagery, stupendous stories that I ever saw
and read about people’s travel tales, this was
how they were revelling in the pure ecstasy
of life all along. I was tripping on this newly
found drug that my mind immediately
registered and in turn pumped up my brain
chemicals to bolster this escapade.
In hindsight, those twelve days
metamorphosed me into a better version of
myself, like a new human update installed
Raghav Khanna
New Delhi, India
by my processor. But now that I think of
it, at what moment did it exactly happen?
Was it a cumulative result of the series of
events which unfolded with each passing
moment of that journey? Did it happen
on that evening when the freshly painted
shamrock bench at the end of the pavement
comforted me with the breathtaking view
of the setting sun? Or did it happen during
that refreshing afternoon I spent devouring
delicious prawns under the sky with
nothing but the sound of blowing wind
creating a mesmerizing symphony for me
to make my meal more enjoyable? I still
don’t know.
What I do know is that every street felt like
home and every person familiar. I found
myself in bits and pieces in the Islands I
visited, the sunsets I enjoyed, the travellers
I met, and the places I dusted with my
footprints. I connected to every narrow
passage and every passing picturesque
scenery. I found solace under the generous
shadow of ageing trees and met some
beautiful souls along the way.
It’s quite enthralling how a change in
horizon in your sight can literally change
the horizon of your perceived self, how
a place can make you weak in your knees
and wet your cheeks at the same time with
a smile on your face, how you can have
the most meaningful conversation with a
stranger knowing very well that you too
will share this intimate bond and then
shoot off to completely opposite directions
and most of all, it’s enthralling how these
events gets imprinted on your soul, forever.
Ever since then, I haven’t stopped. Even
though I have travelled to many places,
only a few of them being solo, I always
carry that discovered solitude within my
heart. I still see every new thing with the
vision of a child and experience the same
exhilaration on encountering beauty. I find
peace being with myself, contemplating
at natural and man-made marvels. I find
contentment in getting lost and discovering
unbeaten paths, off the map. Even if I’m not
able to create a luxurious life for myself in
the future, I’ll still be rich with my collected
tales and experiences.
My definition of ‘Travel’ has a spectrum
that reaches far out to the limits of this
world and myself.
One word, which upon embracing, can
set you on a path of self-discovery that’s
going to alter your physical, spiritual,
psychological, moral, and mental self.
Are you willing to find your own meaning
to it or are you going to wait for your ‘Push’
forever?
Breathing Serenity
Nikon D810 200mm F/2.8 1/500s ISO80