Hey, My name's Prishita. I live in Delhi. 2020 started with a lot of exuberance and high spirits, I told myself, "This was going to be the year I'll change myself". Little did I know that this was going to be a queer year.
So back to January 2020, Life in Delhi wasn't normal. There were protests happening around the country against the CAA/NRC. I remember going out to protests and screaming my heart out. The azadi slogans, the debates, and the arguments, all made me feel like a part of the democracy that we're living in. I felt being a part of something bigger than myself. Life was despondently beautiful. Thinking about it, makes me realise how much I grew as a person during that time, talking to strangers, speaking for people who couldn't voice their opinions, and I understood the real meaning of the word patriotism.
Then came February, The Delhi University fest season had just begun. I started living more in Delhi Metro than at my home. I didn't realise the accelerated speed at which February went by. All I can remember is I was happy and I had a purpose.
Then came March, the month that made my life come to a halt. A halt that stopped my otherwise lively life. The onset of COVID-19 in India made the government put the entire country under complete lockdown which was one of the most ghastly experiences for the lower middle class in India.
During the initial days of the lockdown, I felt light-hearted. I was surrounded with people who loved and cared for me. Finally I had a break which I longed for. But somehow that break didn't feel so peaceful after all. I squandered my time through relentless scrolling of social media and watching TV shows.
Soon after, I realised the problem with my frivolous routine. Hence, I began picking up different things to spend my time. I tried almost everything (except the dalgona coffee), I tried playing my old guitar, baked cookies, painted, video called my friends, became obsessed with an online game, read books, became a part of a fandom, tried learning coding, did online courses and the list goes on.
But then things changed, I started worrying more about how completely purposeless I was in life now. It itched me to go back to my normal life. My mental health was on a roller coaster and it still is. Although I try to keep myself away from the pessimistic thoughts. Some of my friends and my family makes sure that I am doing well. The lockdown took a heavy toll on my mental health. Ever since I was a kid I've always liked the idea of staying at home. But not now, not anymore.
I understand how completely irrational I sound when I say all of this, considering the fact that I belong to a privileged class which can still afford a comfortable lifestyle despite the ongoing pandemic.
I understand that I should be grateful for the life I have and not be stressed about it. I am grateful to each and everyone one of you who checked on me and made sure I was doing fine. I know some of you won't even know about all this. But I am glad you sticked around till the end of this blog. We're all in this together, and like everything else in life, this too shall pass. Nonetheless, don't forget to wear a mask.
Life is a journey full of mysteries and surprises. At each and every step, some sort of experience is encountered by an individual which gradually leads to a better understanding of one’s own self. This is a philosophical truth.
But today’s competitive times have drastically transformed our lives in such a way that of a blooming flower, our lives have changed into a bunch of artificial flowers having no fragrance of their own. We have confined ourselves to our mere daily routines. Thus, here comes the art of travelling to rejuvenate the allure surrounding one’s life.
For me, travelling is an art because travelling doesn’t mean going from one place to another, but it means going with a fresh outlook and with an ample amount of exuberance from one place to another. Travelling opens the doors of bountiful experiences. It also rejuvenates your senses as you get to see a lot of wonderful places, you get to hear a lot of amazing facts, you get to feel and smell a new aura surrounding that particular place and you even get to taste the delicacies out there. Moreover, retaining the lost shine of your mind, body and soul.
Our cinema too realizes the importance of travelling. For instance, Zindagi na milegi dobara, the 2011 super hit was also based on a mere road trip, but that mere road trip strengthened the bond between those friends and that mere road trip filled their lives with the colours of love and affection too. Similarly, Piku, showcasing yet another road journey glorified the father-daughter relationship which is quite rare to see these days. Thus, when you travel, you take with yourself an invisible backpack full of unexpected moments which eventually turn out into sweet memories.
These sweet memories are then cherished by us for all our lifetimes. Those funny photographs, those hilarious videos, those laughs and guffaws, those silly moments and above all those days well spent with our closed ones make us nostalgic but with a deep silent smile. Thus, travelling beautifies our life and helps us to relish the small yet euphoric moments of our life which will never ever come back and if they would, then probably not with the same amount of zest, zing and zeal as they were initially.
On a personal front , I had a trip to Ranthambore in January 2020 and it was one of a kind. I enjoyed the wildlife thrill to the best possibilities , clicked some amazing pictures and B-roll , wanted to capture a leopard too but it ran away but it was an amazing trip. But who knew that just two months after the trip , this wildlife enthusiast is going to become a couch potato binge watching Netflix. But I've not let myself down. I've been watching travel and food vlogs of budding Youtubers and supporting them. This pandemic has made us realise that local artists are of so much relevance. And we all should definitely promote them and support them in whichever way possible.
So yes , at last, giving a positive end, I’ll just say that travel whenever and wherever possible. Take a definite route and go!(but after the pandemic ends)