As the name suggests, it’s the desire to wander which sometimes happens by choice and the other times without one. I have been a true wanderer both in terms of my mind (with innumerable questions) & my feet literally doing the city hopping. I have a few anecdotes from my experiences that I would like to share today that will hopefully give you all a peek-a-boo into my life’s journey so far.
I was born in Mysore, Karnataka the cultural capital of the state as it is widely known, but I’d prefer to call it as one of the most well planned & cleaner cities of India. I received formal education till my engineering in Mysore & having born in the year 1987, my childhood was pretty much the same as that of any 90’s kid across the country. Which means, I had chances of developing cold occasionally due to playing in the mud or rain rather than developing a texting thumb syndrome due to smartphones.
Thank god for that!
I always thought I knew my city very well until my husband who was my then boyfriend busted that bubble. My husband hails from Hiriyur, a small town in Chitradurga another historic place in Karnataka, who had enrolled for an engineering course in Mysore(basically destined to meet me). That’s my first stint with a traveler’s insight. A visitor can know so much more than you do about your own city. He made me realize that I knew only the locations of all the pani puri stalls in the city (perhaps a little more than that).
At that point in my life, never had I thought I would be city hopping henceforth which holds good even today!
As destiny had it, I moved to Pune to do my Masters. I think from then on, I have been haunted with a question “Will I ever get a chance to stay in my hometown for a longer duration?”
So here I was at the juncture of my life, where I formed strong opinions about the city like an outsider just by looking at the badly maintained forts & conveniently felt that my city was much better. Mainly, because I had a bad experience with an auto-rickshaw driver, felt the idlis served were too hard and they didn’t know to prepare filter coffee! However, the Puneite in me had seamlessly taken over my Mysorean emotion. I remember explaining to someone that Pune was like Mysore of Maharashtra because I had found a new home away from home.
Life has its magical ways to teach you lessons like they say, 'What goes around comes around'. I had to stay in Bangalore for 2 months in a hostel during my internship. I had a Bengali roommate who once had a bad experience with an auto-rickshaw driver & decided to hold the entire Bangalore responsible for his bad behavior. Strangely, that’s how visitors judge any new city guys! I could only laugh at my past and wished she would find her Bangalorean connection soon.
On that note, thank god Dubai doesn’t have auto-rickshaws!
My next stop was Hyderabad for my first job. My first salary, my first high of being financially independent. Nevertheless, my struggle with food was still on as I am a vegetarian and u will have to satisfy yourself with dal pappu in Hyderabad for being one. Things got a little better when I got familiar with veg biriyani (though my non vegetarian friends strongly refrain me from using “veg” as a prefix for biriyani). Having had a chance to visit my hometown only for a fortnight every 4 months, I was again left gasping with the same question- “Will I ever get a chance to stay in my hometown for a longer duration?”.
Then, Doha happened!
With Pakistani, Egyptian, Sudanese, Filipino neighbours, the concept of co-existence beyond boundaries practically materialized. Of course, u tend to take a huge learning about one’s culture & cuisine & my first interplay with the middle east folklore has been an everlasting one.
I got my Qatari PR renewed only to find myself applying for a PR in Dubai in the next few months. Apart from meeting all my old friends from Engineering & post graduation who are working here, another best thing that has happened to me is, I have reconnected with my most enjoyed interest that is blogging.
Finally, I got the opportunity to stay in my hometown for a considerable amount of time during my brother’s wedding & relive my growing up days. Trust me; I made the most of it. However, on the last day when one of my cousins remarked that it would be nice if only I could’ve stayed a bit longer, I was amused at my own reaction. I told her I can’t wait to get back to Dubai to my husband & daughter!
About homecoming?
I have come to realise that home is whom you come to rather than where you go to. I would love to come back home any day to my kids, husband, parents & parents-in-law. This ideal home that can have all my loved ones under one roof resides in my mental celluloid & I wonder if it will ever cease to be a reality.
As I continue to wander, every city I have invested my time in has left a piece of its essence in me & I have left a piece of myself in every place I have touched...
Let's wander, for its true happiness lies in Homecoming.
Happy backpacking!
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