“We travel not to escape life, but so that life does not escape us.”
Travelling had always been a breather for me no matter what the situation was. Feeling lazy- go for a cycling ride, had a bad day at college- take a solo ride to the Chandreshwar mountain, feeling low- sit by the lake at Deusa church, having a hectic week- take your gang for kayaking over the weekend.
So you see, multiple problems- ONE solution- Just go Travel.
Travelling to nature or scenic spots to find peace was my one route to peace the other one was taking a road trip to a city and exploring around. And my favourite city streets lie in Panjim.
Panjim has a whole vibe to it. The city is located on the banks of the Mandovi river and has a Portuguese touch in all its architectures. It is a blend of river music, city chaos, breezy winds and a touch of the Miramar beach. From local markets to branded stores everything is available just at a foot’s distance. Life feels just right and complete in Panjim. (take it from a person who travels more than an hour to get there)
As a person who enjoys challenges and is stubborn to some other level altogether, I took up this challenge of travelling to this city on a regular basis due to work related reasons. I realised that to get to the capital of Goa, being a resident of Goa would take me more or less two hours. Goa is a small state but getting from point A to point B is never a straight line and definitely doesn’t have a straight route. Being the annoying optimist that I am, I find the silver lining in these long morning bus rides and even longer evening bus rides back home.
The Panjim bus stop is a sight for the eyes. It’s the typical anecdote one, would take to add in their essay on “An hour at the Bus-stop”. Lol:) !!! The city streets are spick and span and the houses are well maintained and painted with colours of rich blue and pastel yellow. As much as one can enjoy the architecture- the people moving around are fun to observe too. One can spot a variety of people in this city- an artist aesthetically painting the glassdoor of a comfy-looking cafe by the street or a bunch of well-dressed youngsters taking a break from their casino shifts and chit-chatting by the streets.
Every stop the bus makes builds up a new tale in itself. The very few days that I’ve started travelling by this “not-so-convenient” means of transport, I choose to find inspiration in the little things and events that happen in my life and especially of others around me. Maybe I’ll hit a conversation with the stranger who catches the same bus as me every evening, maybe I’ll shoutout a “good-morning” to the security guard outside the cafe I walk past every morning and see what stories he has to share.
A conversation can take you to so many places and bring so many ideas to your door. A conversation can help you find those undiscovered cafes and local food trucks with the best dishes and even engrossing stories. Because at the end of the day it is the stories we want to share and the stories we want to be heard and this is EXACTLY what I am here for.
michellewritesart 