Page 24 - Seniorstoday July 2024 Issue

plane; anything that would lead to injury, celebrations.
landing me in bed preventing me from
doing all the things on my list.
I decided to focus on the two things I
love most- reading and travel. Now I read
a lot of history, art and design, food, serial
killers, philosophy, psychology, political
thrillers, but have always stayed clear
of science fiction and fantasy. (I don’t
know why since I loved reading Lord of
The Rings). Diving into science fiction
and fantasy can offer some fascinating
and mind-expanding experiences. They
are full of fresh paradigm shifting ideas
- that take us out of habitual patterns of
thought and transplant us in fantastic and
unimagined worlds. And what stories one
can weave to tell the grandchildren…
Durga Temple - Varanasi
I travel a lot and often. But even in new
places there is a certain kind of sameness.
So, to satisfy my wanderlust and desire
for new experiences, I plan to take a leaf
out of my cousin’s book, who visited sixty
temples for his sixtieth birthday. I added
to my list, visits to at least thirty temples
in maybe a year, and to make it more
interesting, and deeply immersive I plan
to go to only Devi temples, learn about
the unique legends, rituals, and cultural
significance associated with each temple.
Maybe try and time my visits to coincide
with local festivals and special events
at the temples to witness the vibrant
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Another exciting travel adventure is
to travel the world picking a theme. For
example, for the longest time I have been
thinking of traveling to places that make
Ikat fabric. I can follow a trail starting
in the south of India to Odisha to Laos,
Indonesia up to Japan and Uzbekistan.
I can take a deep dive into the history
of Ikat in each region, understanding
its origins, evolution, and cultural
significance, connecting with artisans
by reaching out to local cooperatives,
museums, and individual artisans and
participating in workshops or watch
demonstrations to see the dyeing and
weaving process in action.
Keeping a journal or blog about my
experiences, noting the architectural
details, spiritual atmosphere, and local
stories around the temples will be an
enriching experience. Capturing my ikat
journey on camera, experiences in a diary
and sharing them through social media,
blogs, or even a documentary film will
fill many an hour with joy and happy
memories.
And why not solo travel to a never before
place? Travelling alone makes time flow
in a different way; one tends to look at
experiences through a creative lens. There
is something novel that makes us look at
life, “with glittering eyes” and think in
fresh ways; something that makes us feel
completely differently.
While eating another variety of a rare
mushroom in the ‘it’ restaurant does not
constitute an adventure, I love food, both
homely and comfort foods, as well as
the exotic. Maybe I can beg a chef friend
to let me be a fly on the wall (not the
most apt way of describing my presence
in this context) in her kitchen. I can