Travel Moments: Chaitanya of Traveling Curiously

I wouldn’t say I had a great epiphany or a divine revelation but you can say that I discovered something that was intrinsic to me and my personality.My parents loved to travel and they took me around as they travelled India. By the age of 16 I had travelled across most of the major cities in India. Now at 16, students in India prepare for important examinations that often determines the course of their careers. Consumed in those exams, I became a bit closed, almost reticent to going out since I really wanted to secure top grades. I did fairly well and got into the college of my choice but I still didn’t feel complete or satisfied. During the summer vacations at college, I travelled to Leh City in the Ladhak region of India as a member of the Nature Club. It was my first trip in over 5 years. You could say it was the perfect set up for wanderlust to kick in. While we had many adventures on-route to Leh, the one memory that stands out is the long walk up to Shanti Stupa that our professor nudged us to do. Leh City is at 12,000 ft and walking up hill will leave you breathless. Our professor made us climb up a hillock 500 ft. high just to see  the sun rise. By the time we got to the top, we were gasping for breath, limping with strained muscles and sweating in 5 C. He asked us all to get hydrated and take some rest. He insisted that we don’t sit in groups and spread across the edge, facing the city below.

It took everyone some time to realise the view that was in front of us. It looked something like this: Instinctively, I pulled out my camera and shot this stunning view. Looking my camera display, I just felt a little smile deep inside me. I felt a different kind of happiness; a feeling that was old but familiar. I knew it then, that I’d have to travel somewhere every year and I’ve stuck to that. About Chaitanya Chaitanya is a digital strategist with a serious case of wanderlust. He’s a budding foodie and an aspiring entrepreneur at Lunchex.co. In his spare time you’d find him oogling pictures from Lappland & Quebec.

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