For my Daddy. My hero.

“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float; to gain all while you give; to roam the roads of lands remote; to travel is to live.” ― Hans Christian Andersen

It would not be wrong to say travelling is in my genes. Tracing my family tree, I discover my grandfathers- Mysore born and bred Gururaja Rao calling Chennai home; CBM Rao raised in Tirupati settling in Pune. My Pa who lived mostly in Chennai had no qualms relocating to Pune. And neither did my Chennai cultivated, Pune paramoured Ma.

This post is for my Daddy, my eternal hero. I am sure I was bit by the travel bug on our very first family journey! From 0-22 years, from B&W photos to colour ‘rolls’ and fond memories etched forever, we lived in 2 cities -Chennai and Pune and travelled to-

Srinagar, Jammu, Gulmarg, Vaishno Devi, Delhi, Mathura, Agra, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Patna, Gaya, Bodhgaya, Goa, Mumbai, Pune, Shirdi, Shani Shingnapur, Kolhapur, Nashik, Bengaluru, Mysore, Shravanbelagola, Belur, Halebeedu, Mangalore, Udupi, Dharmasthala, Kollur, Kateel, Hattiangadi, Kukke Subramanya, Kovalam, Trivandrum, Guruvayur, Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, Vellore, Kanchi, Mahabalipuram, Ooty, Palani, Tiruchendur, Kodaikanal, Tirupati, Tiruttani, Kalahasti, Mantralyam, Andaman and Nicobar and Kanya Kumari.

On these soulful expeditions, these have been my heartfelt learnings-

First aircraft travel in Grade 2- what a high it gave me! Indian Airlines to Chennai-Mumbai-Pune and being present in the cockpit for a good 10 minutes. A tilt to the left, one to the right, the pilots were gracious enough to demonstrate for us. Impossible in these times! Lesson- Ask for air sickness bags at the outset.
Lost & found @ Brindavan Gardens- With the explorer streak running high in me, I got lost in the massive Brindavan. Hoping to catch the dazzling light and sound fountain shows while in Grade 10. I later reached the Parking lot, where my father was waiting for me. While search parties were out, my dad knew where to expect me. And right he was. Lesson- Trust your children to do the right thing in crisis. As cool as a cucumber, Pa never panicked. At least never showed it!
Last minute changes @ Vaishno Devi- With our ‘Darshan’ complete, return flight tickets to Delhi in place, my dad took a call to venture to Srinagar and Jammu instead. Watching the mighty Himalayas from the aircraft was breath-taking. Taking in picturesque views of the Dal Lake, climbing snow-capped mountains and incredible nerve chilling adventures. This has been my best family holiday. Lesson- Brave call to reside on the houseboat whose care taker was an ex-militant.
Family trips- As we grew into our teens, our dad allowed us to do the planning. While we picked destinations, Pa tied up all the loose-rather- all the ends– journey tickets, stay, cabs, et all – when internet didn’t exist. Highly meticulous, he also planned for contingencies. Lesson- Now, as a parent, I realise what family trips mean- getting everyone involved. Not just 4 family members travelling together!
Share travel stories with kids–As we grew up, our dearest Pa, filled us in with travel tales of his times. As a child- visiting his mum’s obscure village near Gadag, playing and learning to swim in the well, spending time with cousins near and distant. As a bachelor- travelling spontaneously, taking off on Saturdays, with friends packed in a ‘Morris’, exploring old destinations through new journeys. As a father- Where do I begin? Every trip he planned, worked out great. Some holidays were planned, many impromptu. A believer of ‘You should not plan too much’ whether travel or life, his offhand trips were superhits. As a bachelor, his most fun trip with his ‘besties’ was to Kashmir in the 70s. And he lived it again with us in the 90s. Lesson – Revisit your travel highs with your children.