I began humming this pretty much the moment I wrote the title to this post. Yes, in our part of the world the summer holidays are really looked forward to. They spell the end of an academic year and prepare you for the next. It is the time to get away from the sweltering heat and chill. It is the most popular question on first day of school, “So, where did you go for your summer holiday?”. Things have not changed over the years. Summer still is the coveted time of the year. Yes, there are mini breaks during the year too. But none can match up to the carefree time that summer provides. We were brought up on a staple diet of these vacations. It was only natural we followed tradition.
Over the years, we’ve tried to accommodate as many travels as we can. We have alternated between international and local destinations. India itself has such a wide spectrum to travel that we feel we are running out of time. We’ve done the picturesque north and the gorgeous South India. The East and the West remain to be explored. Kullu, Manali, Dharamshala, Shimla, Chandigarh, Delhi, Patiala, Ludhiana, Nainital, Rampur, and Bareilly have so far been conquered on the northern frontier. Goa, Belgaum, Bangalore, Cochin, Munnar, Thekkady and Kovalam are the pit stops of South India till date. China- Guangzhou, Dubai, Hong Kong and France have been the international flavours added to the travel cauldron. Closer home we’ve travelled to Panchgani, Matheran, Mahableshwar, Alibaug, Murud-Janjeera, Pune, Lonavla, Khandala, Karjat, Nasik, Shirdi and Trimbakeshwar to name a few. Yes, we kinda have the travel bug alright.
Every travel has had a story of it’s own. Every vacation has been special in its own right. Some tales we regale others with over and over again. Some others have been a let down while others have been just about right. Many times the place has been so enthralling, we’ve revisited it as well. However, in all this we have come back richer with an experience that remains in the album of memories. We still wanna take that vacation every now and then. And after a week of staying away from home, we are dying to come back.
No casualties on any travels so far, thankfully. We’ve always planned our vacations to be a well deserved break. We don’t try to cram more than we should. We laze around and simply explore on our own time. We don’t go with a fixed itinerary and I think that has always worked for us. And now with Diwali around the corner, I think it is time for that quick getaway once again. Do holidays tire us? Not really, because a break helps you realize what all you need to be grateful for. A vacation not only makes you thankful and thoughtful but a traveller with an accommodating soul.
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| China – Guangzhou |
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| Hong Kong Disney Land Fireworks Display. |
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| The Ridge Shimla |
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| Manali closer to Rohtang Pass |
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| The Buddhist Temple at Dharamshala |
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| The Rock Garden at Chandigarh |
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| The undefeated Fort in Murud Janjira |
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| The Burj Khalifa Dubai |
Happy to write this with Blog Fest 2012.
Today’s prompt ‘Have you ever returned home from a family vacation and felt more exhausted than when you left?‘ was hosted by Toni
Oh dear…and here I was thinking…..damn not seen enough…..now you know why the grateful bit? 🙂
after seeing all those spots you mentioned in your ‘visited’ list, I think I’m gonna go shoot myself 🙁
Man, I can count the number of places I’ve gone on a holiday in one hand.. I’d probably still have a finger free. I really need to quit being a doc 😀
you have gotta be kidding me !! You’ve visited more fun places in Kerala than I have… AND I’M A KERALITE !!!!!!! 🙂
Those are some beautiful pictures and you have indeed been to a lot of places ., so how did you feel in chandigahr .. now that is MY CITY 🙂
Bikram’s
I’m a bit envious that you have managed to visit so many places in a year… For me… one decent trip is followed by months of wait…
The firework pic is great…
Roshan, woh kehte hain na….ghar ki murgi… something… something 😀
Jitaditya….I wish….all these places have been over my lifetime. If it was a year of travel……I’d probably be related to a big wig, no?
Bikram, Chandigarh is almost home to me too. A fabulously planned city, though the sectors can be quite confusing to a non resident. But yes the wide roads, the cleanliness and the chaats…. bowled me over 😀
Want to do what Roshan has commented about…. know whats even worse?
can you imagine actually visiting cities and yet not seeing places of interest there? Dubai, Ahmendabad, Surat, Kolkata, Chennai …. visited all of them officially, didn’t step out of the conference room – somebody shoot me! 🙁
I haven’t traveled a lot outside the US. I have been to Canada, but that is the extent of it. I feel about the US as much as you do about Exploring India…There is so much to see and not enough time. Maybe one day I will travel abroad. First stop: Ireland.
Lovely post. Manali is such an awesome place. Would love to go back there someday. Thanks for sharing.
vacation happiness or headache
Nirvana, time to change your job, me thinks 😛
Ah, Ireland is on my wish list too, Jenn.
Oh yeah Suzy……….it is fab….loved it!