Mar 13, 2014

Travel tips - No, Thank you

It’s the time of the month when my Travel tale is due again. For the last travel tale of Thursday, Sakshi Nanda of Between Right and Wrong graced my blog with her post and that received a wonderful response. Read her post here.

I don’t have a travel story this week. What I have is a summary of how most popular travel tips have gone wrong in my case. Why does that happen, I don’t know. But from packing to booking, every time I have tried to follow the rule, I have ended up in a mess.

Now my dearies sit back and relax, while I present to you my classiest travel disasters.

1. Pack light – Isn’t this a mantra that we all are supposed to follow? Well! Every time I pile up clothes and open the suitcase to start packing, the mantra rings in my ears. So I go ahead and remove that extra dress/extra shoes/heels/accessories/file etc. and I end up needing it during the trip. For instance if I have taken out a party dress thinking that it’s just one day trip and I have no one to meet in evening, I get a call and a invite for party from a friend/colleague/ family member as soon as I land in the city. If I decide to leave shorts behind for my trip home, I end up asking my bhabhi for those.


2. Book in advance – That goes for all train and flight travel. Isn’t it nice to be able to get cheap tickets on flight or confirm ticket on train? Or better still, being able to redeem your miles? Yes, it sounds nice and exciting. But for me, jinxed by some unknown factor, I have to cancel every trip that I have planned much ahead of time. I now sit with a confirm ticket to my hometown for Holi and a cancelled plan.

3. Carry a book – By now you must be wondering that what can go wrong with packing a book. I’ll tell you my major issues with books. Every time I have carried them, they are either a drag (thus, I end up carrying that extra 500gm in my backpack of something I don’t read), or end too quickly (i.e. if to be on safer side, I carry a book that I am half way through), or don’t get time to read, or worst end up losing it. I know you would say that carry more than one book, but haven’t we spoken about packing light?


4. Eat local – Have you read this post? Well, read it and you will know how ordering local food and not relying on subway/McDonalds hasn’t worked great for me.

5. Plan – Nothing should be wrong with planning. I agree, except that every time I plan, Mr. Murphy plans to step in. For example – I planned a trip to Kutch to see the white desert in full moon, only to find out that there are elections in nearby areas, resulting in cancellations. If I plan to visit a particular monument or a museum, flight gets modified/delayed, car breaks down, etc. which makes me cancel my plan.


6. Expect the unexpected – Lastly, most travel advisers tell us to be prepared for contingencies. Yes, I am. Probably more than I should be. Result – Paranoia. I end up eyeing every moment, stare at every person who walks behind me for as much as 50 mtrs, keep my back so straight and attentive that it hurts by the end of the day, double check-triple check about each way, each place, each person, in short – stay edgy all day long. End result – I end my trip more worrying than enjoying.


However, with so much going wrong every now and then, all tips failing each time I implement it, Murphy’s law out there to lower my enthusiasm, I still love to travel. I travel for work, leisure and life. I remember defining what travel is for me, when I read a post by Richa
Here is what it is - I travel because it is close to attaining a new life. I travel to feel alive, to breathe in a new air, to learn and to de-learn. I travel to gain and to lose some things. I travel to walk in boots in hills, and stand barefoot on a beach. I travel to light candles in a church and offer flowers in a temple. I travel to bite in the authentic Italian and drink like a real French. I travel to escape and to come back to home nostalgic.
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Part of Travel tale on Thursday on my blog. Would you like to contribute to Travel tales? Please write to me.

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Please take out time to read more about the featured blogger for the month of March "Aditi Kaushiva" here.

Also, check out the post by a non-blogger who penned down her feeling.

Guests are always welcomed at Shades of Life. Drop me a line at sugandha118@gmail.com and I would love to share your thoughts here.


19 comments:

  1. Lovely little tips there Sugandha. Who said there's not story here? Every point is a little story :)

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  2. Haha I want to say 'I know!!' Cute post this!

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  3. Have to completely agree with Sid's comment, each one of those points have little stories to tell, don't they :)

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    1. Actually there are several :) Glad you liked the post.

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  4. lovely and valid tips! I know how hard it is when we don't pack light! I had to carry such heavy bags all by myself running through airports in transit several times...and I agree about food too!

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  5. Great Tips Sugandha, especially the first one of pack light has already caught be badly so many times. Last year in November I went to my in laws and exactly found my self in the similar condition that I was not having anything to wear for a party, and my wife was too angry on me that why don't I bring one more set with myself. Then fortunately the party got canceled and the next day we had the train and we came back :)

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  6. Lovely post ! I specially agree with the point where you have stated how not relying on fats food hadnt work for you. I had a tragic incident in Swizz myself, where I went all local and had horrible Sandwiches in the afternoon. Then got to know that Sundays all the markets ( even the eating joints ) get shut down at 4PM !!! But being a snob that I am, I persuaded my husband not to go to McDs. So we opted for a Fine Dining Thai restaurant and that was the worst "so called" Thai food I have ever had in my life.

    I now look around twice and if I dont see any place good enough I sheepishly enter Ms Ds and stuff myself. :D

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  7. this is exactly how it works with me too :P every time i've planned ahead and packed ahead trips have been cancelled and so ive just told people that there is no way im packing early ever again :P
    great tips :D haha

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  8. The most important is the last point i.e expect the unexpected. Positive thinkers may frown at it. i say to myself every time when my entire travel plan upsets due to point no.6, this is for your benefit only, only time will tell you. and it really tells.

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    1. I know its important but it just makes me paranoid.

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  9. Woww! This seems so like out of my own mind! thanku sugandha... it makes me feel I am not the only one :) and to stop feeling disorganized n disappointed too ...Cheers!!

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  10. Totally agree about pack light and the food too :D Maybe i'm going to have a tour package to Vietnam, any suggest for a Vietnam trip guys?

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