someone else is living my life

Mr. Postcard has just come home today. Is finally back from New Zealand, am IT man, working with one of the biggies, he has returned from one more of the upteen "conferences" this one just happens to be in New Zealand ;-) . Last year he landed up in Singapore, Tanzania, Australia, Tasmania and he just happens to mention that (i) he is going to Peru and (ii) that his pic is on the OUTLOOK TRAVELER

I have only one feeling to sum up this.. someone else is living my life, while I am living some second hand version of mine.. See the images on FB and the dorkiest kids of my class seem to have latched on to the not so handsome men, who just happened to live in Swizz alps, and post updates about London rain and crib.. okok am a case of sour grapes and all but that is what is happening ;-)

You ever had those annoying questions, when you were in class 9, that asked you to see what you wanted to be? Well all that I did want was to be was a traveler. That is all. The ability to travel and see the world. not the kind my brother gets to do, the kind where he moves from boardroom to boardroom, as opposed to lugging your backpack on the back, the world strapped to you and no agenda to the day. letting it flow.

The former leaves you drained, where every airplane meal looks the same, you wonder where you are, see alien signboards at the railway station, and then you can be a traveller, where the food still sucks, if you are a vegetarian, but there is so much openness to meeting people.

There was this one time when I was backpacking in Kerala, staying alone in some random off beat place, and when I bumped into this other traveler, Hugh. Together, we went food scouting, found none, but chanced upon a man lazying against a bike. He informed us that there was no food to be got for miles, but if we wanted we could share a meal with his mates, who were the crew of a luxury house boat. Off we went and lo n behold, little me, random man Hugh, and 7/8 randomer Mallu men, were all sitting around a houseboat with an inbuilt jacussi, where i had the best meal of my life. Candle light maggi and fresh pineapples, rocking on the house boat, surrounded by fireflies.

That is why i want to travel. Secretly that is the reason i want to do my MBA. to expand the world.

Best friends number 3, is currently in ivory coast, off to a trip with someone from Norway, someone from Romania, he from india, all travelling within Africa, that is for me magical.. like an enid blyton book..

To travel unhurried and easy
in a land somewhat unknown
with people, of whom atleast one is old
some one new is met, a conversation struck
a meal shared, a story discussed
time to move, comes again,
just a happy memory, remaining to be shared.

Extracts from a song i read.... to living this as a part of my own life!!!

When I was young and unafraid

And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hopes apart
As they turn your dream to shame
He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came
And still I dream he'll come to me
And we'll live our lives together
But there are dreams that cannot be!
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.