Heading To Sikkim… without a return ticket
Before I begin, I would like to take you back to my post 5 Destinations On My Radar, which stated my travel wish-list for the year. I’m glad to announce that time has come to tick off Sikkim from the list. Yes, I am already off to Sikkim while you are reading this post. And yes, I am heading there without a return ticket. I am glad that I am able to materialize this trip, which is not just a trip but a venture for me as a travel blogger. With this new adventure, I’m going to take a step forward as a traveller. It is going to be more than a holiday for me. Of course, I am thrilled, excited and hopeful. Am I nervous? Yes and no. I’m a bit concerned as I will have to manage a lot of things on my own like finances, accommodation and also my work. Thus, I need to be more disciplined towards the way I operate. I am confident because I know what I am doing.
What do I expect from Sikkim –
First of all, I expect it to be an environmentally responsible state. I have heard Gangtok is a clean and pollution free city. I have also read somewhere that people of Sikkim are shy and they take time to mingle, but when they do, they are very warm and nice. So, I expect receiving a great hospitality in general. I expect lots of natural beauty, lots of culture and character. I am basically looking forward to experiencing a lot of new things.
What do I expect from myself –
I expect myself to be more serious as a traveller and as a travel photographer. I want to take my travel photography to a new level with this trip. I don’t want to make the same technical mistakes again. Although I have only one lens to shoot with, I want to make the most of it. I am carrying my tripod for the first time, so that I am able to produce more professional photographs. Also, I am going to interact a lot more with people this time. I’ll be more observant as a traveller. I am going to slow down, take note of little nuances, absorb and then move on.
Why without a return ticket –
It’s a spontaneous decision to travel without a return ticket. I don’t intend to be incessantly on the road, but I do want to explore as much as possible. I want to travel on impulse. I want to figure out whether it’s the money that matters or the courage. I want to prove a point to myself that I am born to travel. I want to test my limits as a traveller – how adventurous, passionate and eager I am to explore new places. To some extent, I have already tested that when I went on a solo desert safari in Rajasthan and a monsoon trek in Matheran.
On travelling solo –
It’s going to be yet another solo trip for me, but a different one. This time it’s going to be more fun, more enriching and more revolutionary in terms of managing finances, looking for accommodation and planning itineraries, etc. It’s easier to plan a two-day trip, but planning a long and vague trip is challenging. All I can say is that I have researched a lot, thought about it and now that I am ready to take the plunge, it’s all about how I judge situations and people.
On working while travelling –
I am going to be working while travelling for the first time. So far, my travels have been hard core holidays. But this one is going to be a working holiday for me. Thus, I won’t be running from one tourist spot to another. As I mentioned earlier, it’s going to be slow this time. Although working while travelling can be challenging, it is an ideal situation. As long as I am able to manage it efficiently, I have no reasons to complain.
