Nomadic Notes: A Slow Traveler’s Tale
Even before I stepped into the sea, I’d already tasted adventure through thousands of books. Fantasy, historical fiction, travel guidebooks, coming-of-age novels, mysteries, thrillers, I’ve inhaled them all. A million lives, in the span of one.
We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls. ~ Anais Nin
The first steps down my trail reveals a slow traveller. Waiting around for spotty public transit and observing the busy marketplaces. Embracing the fluidity of being a tourist but also a regular at the local coffee shop, typing away in a corner.
So far, I’ve been to quaint Ooty in the sprawling Nilgiris under the summer sun, the ups and downs of the Goan coastline year-round, and the tiny cliffs and aquamarine seas of Gokarna. (Literally) skated through a bustling Mumbai, and unwound in Kochi’s vibrant art and food. Humbled by the stark beauty and remoteness of the Zanskar Himalayan range in Spiti, further east to Gangtok’s evergreen mountains and tucked away cafes, and trekked up to the northern borders of Kashmir amongst stunning meadows and rocky peaks. I write this from the city of sprawling bougainvillea, rain-soaked streets, and terrible traffic, Bengaluru 💙.
I obsessively visit bookshops. I find whimsical strangers. Time-traveling ones sending a postcard to their nearly future selves. Others outrunning their fears and worries, never in one place for longer than a day. Experimenters looking for themselves, trying out the words “I’m not from just any one place”. Friendly residents, sometimes to point me in the right direction, share a story, or take me along to their favorite haunts. Hustlers on an overdue break. Other first-timers, eyes bright, at the possibility of the world beyond, and how impossibly vast it is.
Discover: Bookmark spots with interesting architecture, an eclectic mix of medieval meets new, coordinates you feel something at.
Explore: Sign up for things never tried, acrobatics, breathwork, attend a service at a forgotten temple, or join in on a local festival.
Wander: Find parks full of trees - the original inhabitants — or a rocky spot with a strong ocean breeze, quiet benches with inscriptions of generations past, and midnight nooks when the world drifts away.
Repeat.
If you would like to explore another side of travel, mark offbeat things to do, or just tag along on my silly adventures, read on! At the end of each post, I’ll list all the places/stays/cafes mentioned and I hope you have your own unique adventures wherever you go!
