Hello, World! #TheBlindList

Posted on by Parul Thakur

Did you know your parents when you were born?

Did you know the world at that time?

How about your house as a day new in the world?

Or the city you were born and in which continent was it?

You know all that now after you started understanding things about the world but not at that time. Right?

‘Hello, World!’ is not just the simplest computer program. It is also a reality. One we don’t think much about. We travel, check out items from our bucket list, explore the world, relocate to other countries, experience cultures and learn in the process but do we ever get to know the World?

What will tomorrow bring? 

How will our future look like?

Which other places will we see or not see?

I believe that we are on a blind date with the world at every moment of our life. That’s the truth. The one that never changes. We get to know our parents over time and see the world through our own lenses. We start understanding people and behaviors. However, we have no idea about what will happen next. We propose and then God may have other plans. Isn’t it?

I like to keep my travels like a blind date. I don’t Google much. Whether it is about pictures or blogs, I let my husband take charge of the plan and I then give myself the opportunity to be blown away with what I see.

Snow enroute Tawang
Snow enroute Tawang

The thrill of walking down 3500 steps to reach the double living root bridge in Cherrapunji or fighting the fog on Zoji La trying to get our Alto running has been memorable. As I think of our travels, the experiences were all unknown to us. So what if millions have been to Bum La ? I did not know there would be snow all around and in my line of sight would be the Republic of China.

Living Double Root Bridge in Cherrapunji

When an army officer asked us to deliver a box of Mithai Mate to the next check-point in Ladakh, we were happy to support the army in that small way. At BOP 609, I felt obliged to share my chocolates with the officer who had been standing in the Sun guarding our border and waiting for her shift to end. In Kargil, I had a chance to have tea watching the snow at the peak of the mountain range and on the way to Turtuk, we lost our way. If not for army, we would have had a hard time finding our way.

Unforgettable Zoji La

Which blog would have told me about all those experiences?

None.

Travel is all about discovering the world and yourself. In my opinion, an open-minded way to travel is the best way to have an enriching experience. The few spare hours that we had in Havelock, we spent at the Kala Pathar beach trying to figure out what the ocean was telling us. The turquoise water and the calm all around was self-exploration.

Watching the waves at the Kala Pathar beach

I love to #SayYesToTheWorld. Travel brings me closer to the world and as I see more and more cities, the desire to explore more grows. Like an addiction, I keep saying hello, World!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g6dDFy3d8o

26 thoughts on “Hello, World! #TheBlindList”

  1. Fabulous post, Parul. Loved it. Those pics are so beautiful. They bear your stamp, your thoughts, emotions and experiences that are so you! Good luck with the contest. I give you a 5/5 from my side. Have a fantastic start of the week. Happy Monday. 🙂

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  4. Parul, we have been ingrained by the “system” to plan our lives. But the fact is that life cannot be planned. For example are we aware which company will hire us? What about boss, colleague, friends….? Everyday is a surprise! The faster we accept better it is for us! Thanks for leading through wonderful places in your post.

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    1. You are right. I don’t participate a lot but this one was something that struck a chord 🙂 Do you know the army folks make tea with Mithai Mate? It’s an easy way since finding milk is not easy. It was lovely delivering that box in a remote area.

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  6. I am a computer programming student, but I never had any such definition of “Hello World”. Its great to get one. Although I am not so interested in travel blogs, but I found this blog-post interesting.

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  7. What heartfelt writing Parul- your travel experiences and the way you write about them is just incredible. You lend so much meaning into it. The little things about sharing chocs or delivering the mitha mate, is so beautiful. Travel teaches one so many things and you are teaching many travellers like me to be more aware and thoughtful on my trips.

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  10. Lovely! How beautifully you have talked about the meaning of traveling and visiting new places. Reading your account warmed my heart. Traveling can mean so much more than just sight-seeing. It should be about journeying to the inside of our core. That bridge in Cherapunji is a marvel.

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