How Travel Changed My Beliefs towards Judgmental People

Hailing from a conservative background is not easy; you have to take care of many things you actually do not care about. I used to be a hater; I would hate everyone who would not mind his or her business and peek into my life. I would hate every judgmental person who had something to say about everything I did. However, I started realizing that things were becoming too sour for me to bear. I was becoming a bitter person who would not want to indulge with people for the fear of being judged. And I had started becoming an anti-social person who liked to keep to himself, but traveling to different places saved me.

Ignoring the envy

It is not easy to ignore the envious people, especially when you have to deal with them daily. A number of colleagues were infamous in office for being too political and they kept gossiping about one person or the other. I tried to stay away for them, but I think I was an easy target for them. I abhor to admit it, but I was a meek person who would often get cornered by such people and they would mock me in front of everyone. However, I found my respite in solo travel, which has made me much confident than I was ever before.

While meeting different people in different places in India and abroad, I realized that not everyone is as bad as they seem. There are kind people who would give you the right advice without expecting anything from you. I had met a spiritual guru in Rishikesh who taught me about the value of smiling at everyone I met in office. He did not ask for any money from me, so there was no question of any monetary gain for him. He just fathomed that I was a troubled soul that needed unbiased guidance. It is because of him that I gained a bit of confidence to smile at everyone and disarm them whenever they spat out venom at me.

Ignorance is bliss when it comes to living in a society like India where people will poke you as much as you allow them. They want to know everything about you until you create some boundaries. Travel taught me to define the borders and never let people cross them even if it means being a little rude to them. A friend in Miami educated me to be subtle yet strong when it comes to warding off people.

Becoming social

Since the day I set off for my first solo vacation on the hills of Coorg, I have become more social than I had thought. Just like everyone else, I thought that solo travelers are anti-social people who cannot live a regular life. Yet, when I was looking for Self-Drive Cars in Bangalore with trembling hands, something inside me was screaming out loud that I was doing the right thing.

Solo travel gave me the confidence to be on my own, even when the wind is not in my favor. I tried calling my mom when I had a flat tire, but the thought of being so dependent stopped me. Even a mother or a family can be critical of you when you depend on them too much. I decided to tackle the situation myself and dealt with it successfully. The feat may not seem too significant for someone to consider, but it is certainly a big deal for a meek person like me. I am proud to say that I am an independent traveler, free from the negativity judgmental folks.

How Traveling to Bangalore Became a Challenge

I had to be there in Bangalore last month, at any cost, but the British airlines would not let me be there. I was on the verge of crying, but I thought of facing it boldly. I was there in London, slogging my life day in and day out for office. I knew that I had to attend my sister’s wedding in January, so I had already applied for a week’s leave beforehand. When I reached the airport, I was more than just disappointed to know that the airlines had offloaded me because they were overbooked!

The worst part of being there was that the staff was not polite at all and they would not listen to anyone complaining. Everyone who came to the desk was given a rude reply, so there were many people in the same dilemma as mine. I thought that it was pointless to argue with the airlines staff, so I called the travel desk at my office to have a ticket booked for me. I figured out that it must be night time in India, so I need to disturb anyone at home at that moment.

Around 10 pm, I went to sleep at the airport only, but my phone started ringing in a few minutes. I was surprised to see my sister calling me at this moment because it was too early morning in Bangalore. As I answered call, her first question was that how was I able to pick up the call. She knew that I was not flying.

I tried to calm her down and told her that there was some issue with the flight, and that I would be flying the next day. She started sobbing right then and said that she knew that I would not be able to fly.

Me: You knew what?

She: I had a dream just now that the airlines are not letting you fly. And that you will catch your flight next week! You will not come to my wedding; I knew it.

It was a bizarre coincidence that she got the same dream as what was happening to me. The airlines had actually told me that they would allot me a flight the coming week only! However, I told my sister that the travel desk at my office is sorting it out for me and I will be there for her wedding the next night. With God’s grace, the office did manage to have me on the flight in time and I could reach home in time for my little sister’s wedding. Until that day, I never knew that things like this can also happen to passengers and they can be barred from flight without any legit reason.

Anyway, I reached my hometown, took the Innova Self Drive Bangalore because I had to collect some stuff on my way, and reached home safely only to find my family waiting to hug me tight. They almost crushed my bones that day!

How I Learned About Forbidden Things on My India Travel

It was not by chance that I was there in India last year; I had thought about it well and planned it in the best way possible. Having heard a lot of things about the country, I wanted to be twice as sure about being there for a long time, especially being a female. My friends had told me that Indians are quite touchy about a few things, and I must take care that I do not offend anyone. I totally understand this fact, being from Japan, I realize that religion and belief do play an important role in one’s lives.

An Indian friend

Being friends with an Indian guy helped me a lot before I traveled to India. I have been in touch with him for more than three years after I met him in a seminar in Japan. Whenever I would talk to him over the phone or text, we would exchange information about our cultures. The way I am keen on Indian culture, he wants to know about the Japanese ethos. He knows my nature as a person, and he assured me that I would find many friends in India when I go there.

So I happened to travel to India after I gained confidence that I can stay there for quite a long time since I planned to work while I lived there. I decided to stay in Bangalore so that I can explore south India first, and then move on to Delhi to wander around North India. The first warning he gave me was that I must not talk anything about any religion in India. Some Indians may be more sensitive than others in every place, and I must respect those differences. If someone takes an offense to my comments, it can be a legal challenge as well. It was good enough warning for me to begin with traveling in India.

Respecting the national anthem

No nation would tolerate disrespect for its national anthem, and it is a little more evident in India. Rohit, my Delhi buddy, told me that I might have to participate in the recitation ceremony at cinema halls, sports tournaments, etc. I had two choices- I could either stand in respect for it or not participate in it at all. Nonetheless, I should never deliberately disrupt the Singing Ceremony of the national anthem, which may land me in jail if someone files a complaint. Never in my life would I want to see the jail in my country or that of someone else.

Stopping a train

The Indian Railways are way different than that in Japan; the trains in India have a chain system that one can pull to stop the train in case of an emergency. However, there has to be a legit reason to pull the chain. Otherwise, it can lead to a hefty penalty or even jail. Even out of curiosity, I decided not to play with the string in the train. Although I had planned to take Car Rental in Bangalore without Driver or cabs for the most part of my journey, I still wanted to experience the trains in the country.

I, although being a well-intended person did not want to hurt anyone, I still thought better to learn about things that are not acceptable at any cost, religion being one of them. Rohit advised me to be a spectator when I did not understand anything or better ask someone about the norms at religious places. Therefore, even before I had set my feet in India, I had gained a lot about the nation.

How I Found a Way Out to Survive Cheap While Traveling

When I thought of long-term solo travel, it was not easy to convince myself that I would be able to sustain myself throughout the year or two. After thinking and constantly researching for a few months, I managed to gather the guts to leave my city and travel abroad for a few years. Since I am not a passionate online geek, I knew that I would not be able to be a digital nomad. Therefore, I had to search for an offline job that could let me sustain in a foreign country at a cheaper cost than other travelers. Ever since I started researching about solo travel in different countries, I could realize that the only way I could sustain long-term travel was to live like a native.

The finances

I had to make a financial plan before I left Bangalore for Dubai, which is otherwise a favorable country for Indians. Dubai runs several programs for Indian employees in several fields. The state has a huge demand for teachers in various subjects for their students, and I chose to teach the English language. Teaching was a great way to make ends meet, and have a great time in a gorgeous country like Dubai. I spent two years in Dubai, three years in Indonesia, and another two in Nepal working as a teacher, mentor, writer, etc.

One thing I had noticed being a solo traveler that it takes a mountain of guts to leave home. In the beginning, I had thought that I would never return to Bangalore if I liked it being a wanderer. However, after a few years of teaching and learning, I started missing my country. No matter how great other countries are, I always found solace in India only. I returned to my hometown after 10-12 years of roaming around the world in various countries, which was a great thing given that I had traveled to my heart’s content during this time.

After coming home

After being in India for a week only, I noticed that my city had changed a lot. In the initial period, I would rent a Car Bangalore to explore the things that had changed in all these years. I loved to live in my own country like a solo traveler again as everybody in my family had moved on. I could not keep grudges with them, apparently because I had chosen a different path in life. Many of my cousins had got married, were promoted in their jobs, blessed with kids and planning for more children in the next few years. They had their own beautiful life, which was running perfectly fine with or without me.

Nevertheless, even now when I think about my life and that of others, I feel absolutely satisfied. I have had my share of experiences and shortcomings, in just a little different manner than others. I have been with the locals in different cities and countries and learned about their thoughts about life. Being on my own for such a long time has made me strong, so much so that I can dare to face any challenges without any significant fear. It has taught me to take every challenge as it comes, no matter I succeed or fail. Given another opportunity of life, I would like to be a solo traveler for one more time in my youth as I feel that I lack the energy now to wander as I did earlier. All the same, I am grateful for everything that I learned and did in this beautiful life.

Why I Always Fly in the Economy Class

When you are in a travel job, you have to be smart, especially when you have to pay for your tickets. This is the same scenario with me; I own trading business, and I have to travel to different states and countries many times in a month. In my current position, I can easily afford the tickets of Business Class seats on a plane. Still, I prefer taking Economy Class for many reasons, which I figured out while talking to a friend a few years ago. Let me share why we thought Economy Class was a wiser option than the Business Class.

Saving money

Having more disposable income in hand does not mean that I should spend all of it on every unnecessary thing. I have grown up with family values that have taught me to save as much money as I can, but never to compromise on the necessities. I live my life lavishly, but spending thousands of extra bucks on an overpriced ticket does not make sense to me. I like to save money by taking an Economy Class ticket rather than the Business Class. It gives me an emotional satisfaction that I am not spoiling myself by overspending on useless things.

The destination is same

Even if I fly sitting in a lavish corner of the plane, along with others who sit in the Economy Class, I will land in the exact same location as others. Just for a few hours of flying in the closed cabin of a plane, I do not feel it right to spend on a premium ticket on the same flight!

Saving the environment

Flying Business Class lets me travel in style, but it has a substantial negative impact on the environment. Just like going alone in a car leaves more carbon footprint than doing so in a group, traveling Business Class leaves even more carbon footprint than doing so in an Economy Class. When I am gifted to be able to think of our Mother Nature, why should not I?

Spend more money on travel

Travel is indeed a rewarding experience, and I like to spend on it lavishly rather than on boring plane tickets. For an avid traveler like me, every penny I save is meant to be spent on travel. I like to have my savings to pay on an Opera Concert, a trekking expedition to the Himalayas, or a road trip on Car rentals Bangalore. All these things are more worthwhile than those which hold no value in reality.

Conversation with fellow passengers

When I am out of my city for travel, I like to shed my persona of being a reserved person. I love to talk to people and strike a meaningful conversation. The Business Class flights, just like five-star hotels seem very shallow to me. They are quite spooky in the sense that no one is interested in talking to each other. People will rather give you cold looks if you try to pass a smile to them. Hardly any person I have met in premium segments of planes and hotels who may become a friend just for a while.

My travel goals

I have chosen a business that lets me travel because I like to learn about new cultures, discuss overlooked issues of the world, and recognize the thought process of people. An Economy Class segment gives a vibrant environment full of people coming from different backgrounds. Some of them may be annoying, but most of the people are good at heart and cheerful about life. On the other hand, the Business Class flight gives me a quiet, yet boring section of the plane to get bored to death for hours.

The best part about feeling right about Economy Class is that the airlines serve same food in every class! It is kind of sadistic, but I feel good to think that I am not paying any extra money for the same food or other services.

One of My Most Gorgeous Trips to Karnataka

When I have a travel buddy with the likes of a DSLR, I do not need anyone else with me. I can live for days and days in a row on my own in any corner of the world. I am generally a sunshine soul, but something about monsoon brings out a different personality of me altogether. The hide and seek of the sun gives a feeling that the phenomenon should never end. The mirroring reflections of the sea and sky create an astounding impact as the dark clouds envelope the blue sky. I witness all of these elements of nature whenever I am in Karnataka. Yet more, my last trip to the place was the best of all when I went there in August without no one else, but my Canon camera.

I visit Bangalore for work many times in a year but rarely get a chance to explore the places around the city. However, this time I decided to make time at any cost, even if I had to leave behind everything I think is essential. Over the last few years, I have tried to relax somewhat more than I used to do. I recognize that the world can function without my contribution to it as well. I adopted the slow form of travel this time so that I can spend more time at a place rather than rushing around to see as many places as I can in the shortest time possible.

While wandering around the roads of Karnataka in my car rental, I loved the rain battering on me all through the day. Although I had to take extra care of my camera, the nature rewarded me with some of the most breathtaking views. The backwaters and rivers would change colors more often than I could capture. The trees and plants would spread a pleasant aroma, which would be at variance after every few kilometers.

While playing with the manual settings of my DSLR, I discovered a lot of things that would have remained hidden forever had I not come to Mangalore. The Netravathi River made me recall the delightful memories of my childhood when I would go to my maternal grandparent’s home in Kerala. South India is indeed replete with many such landscapes where I can sit with a book in hand, and have a leisurely time practically every day of the year. I love working what I do for a living, and I have the opportunity to work remotely. As soon as I would be able to gather the courage to shift my home base, I would do it.

It is amazing to do photography in India since people are always enthusiastic to get clicked. They would do what they were doing with much more passion and a huge grin on their faces. Even if I do not play with the settings of my phone, I can click some of the most astonishing shots. It makes my day to roam around such places in the villages of India where people are innocent, yet passionate about life.

When we drove to Malpe, it warmed my heart to see the amalgamation of the river and sea at the Delta Beach. In the backyard of almost every house, I could see the bright blue sky transforming into a dark grey. Taking a Self-Drive Car Bangalore was indeed a great idea because I had to wander around several places without planning for my next destination. I could hop on from one village to another without any plan, and yet feel great about it. At every hamlet, I created such memories that would last a lifetime with me. Again, as soon as I would feel fed up with my metropolitan life, I would make a plan with my friends or maybe alone once again, but I would surely explore another South Indian state next time.

How I paid the price of losing my Friends while traveling

I had to face the music for the first time when I came to Bangalore after three months of traveling to Europe. I called up a friend, and he didn’t answer my call; I thought that he must be busy. But after a few more attempts of reaching him and a couple of more friends, I realized that these guys were actually ignoring me! Why? Just because I had traveled around the world and they didn’t or just couldn’t? Like really? Did I actually do something wrong to lose so many people from my life? Then the pattern began emerging every time I took a long trip abroad or in India. I would come home, call up a few buddies from office, college, and school. Some of them would answer the call; some wouldn’t. Some people would commit to meet for a get-together; the others wouldn’t. Some of the buddies would seem genuinely interested in what I did during all this time, while others would simply shrug their shoulders at the very mention of a new state.

I sat alone in my balcony one morning and tried to think about what wrong had I done that I was losing so many people in my life. I tried to console myself thinking that these guys were anyway boring; it is better that they left, but that self-consoling didn’t work. I delved into the matter deeper and realized that it was a mixture of issues that these guys were drifting away from my life, or rather I was moving away.

While traveling around the world, I had outpaced many people in my city because my way of traveling was different from theirs. I couldn’t settle for a regular nine-to-five job ever, so I had chosen such a field for myself that included a lot of traveling. While I did lose a few people while doing the photo shoots around the nation, I also made dozens of more friends who understand my temperament better than my native buddies. Whenever I felt like experimenting with a new lens in Bangalore, I would look for cheap self-drive cars in Bangalore and go around the city for my hunt of people and places.  Self-rental cars in Bangalore give me the flexibility to stop wherever I want and press the shutter button.

Coming back to my friends who probably never want to see me, it was easier to let them go than I had thought. They were the people who had stayed with me only in my good times. I have been doing commercial photo shoots for best self-drive cars in Bangalore for quite a long time, and I often get discount coupons from these companies. I used to spend those coupons for my group of friends who wanted to go for a long drive free of cost. However, as soon as I stopped providing them the benefits in kinds, I started losing contact with them, which made me fathom that it was better to stay away from such people. The bond that I felt with them was just one-sided; it was a blessing in disguise to have such only people with me who genuinely cared about me after I returned.

The urban life also takes its toll on the personal life as well. Whenever I want to see someone I missed on my vacation or a work tour, I would call them up and ask if they were free for dinner. People in Bangalore, especially the ones migrated from other cities, run a million miles in a minute. They always have a dozen meetings to attend and a million other commitments, so it becomes hard to ask for time from them. However, the people who want to maintain the relationship with me do make an effort come to me sooner or later after I call them. And I am anyhow ready to welcome them with all my heart whenever they want to come.

I can’t say that it is totally their fault on ghosting out of my life; I have been absent on more occasions than one in their life. A friend had her first baby girl last November, and I could only apologize for not showing up to wish her during the celebration. Such noticed absences rarely go down well with people, and they stop inviting you after you are gone for a long time. Because of the nature of my profession, I have to travel sometimes to honor my commitments even if I don’t want to. I just can’t make it to several weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries, and funerals when I am out of the city. Although I feel bad for not showing up when I should, I can’t help it. And I have to pay a price of following my passion in the form of losing my friends.