Forget your world once in a while

I read S Ramakrishnan’s “Desandhri” in my early 20s and the book changed my life. It taught me the importance of travel, especially the line where he says, “The world begins outside your home.”

How true?, I thought.

The book gave me the courage to fight with my parents, who never sent me anywhere until then. After too many arguments, I broke the shackles and started traveling. Since I was part of a photography club, I got more opportunities to travel. I was fortunate to visit some amazing places – thanks to my friends in the group who didn’t mind offering a seat in their car while going on trips.

In 2012, I went to Hampi. During my second day, I walked the colorful streets of Hospet shooting pictures. It was a sunny day. I walked to the main road and sat under a neem tree for shade. The cool breeze was refreshing. I looked around. The villagers were busy with their work. Nobody cared I was there. For a moment, I felt like I was in a different world. A world where I was a nobody. None of my credentials mattered there. I was not a photographer. Not an engineer. I was just a person who was sitting under the tree for shade. That moment was life-changing.

It made me realize why traveling gives us a new perspective and is considered a key to self-realization. It is because a new place makes you a nobody. The world you know vanishes the moment you cross your street.

And, being a nobody teaches you so more than when you’re surrounded by your friends and family. It lets you be yourself without any reservations. It puts you in touch with your true self.

Everything you come across while traveling shows you a new perspective on life. The open road. The random street in a distant town. The highway tea shop in the middle of nowhere and, in my case, a neem tree somewhere in Hospet.

We all love our home. It is our world. But you should forget your world once in a while to get in touch with the real you. It is life-changing.