Celebrate the Open Road

Onward:
Mumbai – Andheri – Varsova – Thane – Shahpur – Kasara Ghats – Nasik – Sinnar – Shirdi

Return:
Shirdi – Sinnar – Ghoti – Igatpuri – Kasara Ghats – Shahpur – Thane – Varsova – Andheri – Mumbai
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This is a concluding post to end this series with links to the seven previous posts on my road trip.

• Roadtripping Sahyadris: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
• Roadtripping Sahyadris: Part 5, Part 6 and Part 7.
  

Roadtripping Sahyadris

As written in my first post, I had started this unexpected and unplanned trip not knowing where the road would take me. I liken it to what scientists do. Research is what it is called when they don't know what they are doing.

So I started in Mumbai and ended up in Shirdi and returned – a journey on a motorbike covering a distance of almost 590 kms in two and half days.

This journey in May through the peak of summer in the Sahyadris taught me how to meet challenges and build strength along the way. I did learn to appreciate all the more what I have, and what I do not have and above all, to appreciate good moments in a given day. It was about feeling something new at different places, watching and learning about nature, history, different cultures, and in general, to celebrate the open road that unfolded before me.

I ate local food, got sun-burnt, appreciated the good roads to cruise on, complained about the scorching heat a few times, listened to the sounds of nature, laughed a lot, and shot many pictures. There were chatty times and long periods of silence other times. Every bit of the journey was well worth it.

The feeling of freedom and anticipation of the unexpected when travelling the open roads is awesome. So, if you are a travel enthusiast like me, you need not make elaborate plans. To make such trips, you need neither wait for opportunities to come knocking at your door nor much money.

Just have the exuberance to travel, and you can create an opportunity yourself to get going. On the road even the most meticulous can let go. So let your unkempt hair fly while you gleefully scream on a lonely open road. This can be not only a good exercise for your lungs, but also de-stressing. With the right company, such journeys can be safe, interesting and entertaining too.

So, go ahead and try it. It’s real fun. Just pack a small backpack with bare essentials and fill up yours or your friend’s bike or car. No comb, no brush, no mirror, no shampoo? No problem! Forget about how presentable you are or how your hair looks, and keep moving. You'd be amazed at what you'd find on the road. Every sixty seconds spent well is a minute of joy to be cherished.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual journey with me. Happy travels.

- celine

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Not all who wander are lost
~ Tolkien