Journey to a Home away from Home
- navakallc
- Jan 5
- 3 min read
Travelling to India is a different experience all together, because more than a vacation, it’s kind of like travelling from one home to another. The journey itself is a feat to achieve, as it takes about seventeen and a half hours to get there. The very first step is the packing. Every time that my friends and I are talking about travelling to India, it’s a guarantee that there would be ample amount of luggage that would be travelling with us. That’s because we’re always taking some souvenirs or gifts for friends and family in India but mainly it’s because of the amount of stuff that’s coming back with us.
There’s always a home or in my case, my childhood that was spent in India, and some mementos that are a big part of my childhood there. Every time that I visit, there’s something that I want to take back with me and add more to the mementos that are growing in number in my home in Redmond.
I love airports. Every time I go to one is a reminder that through the medium of a plane I’m going to be going to a new world, and experience new things. The vibe itself is so special, with people rushing about trying to get to their destination, all of them going for different reasons and for different goals. Time feels surreal as everything is a blur around you.
When we’ve finally boarded the flight and settled in is when it starts feeling like we’re actually about to go somewhere. Ready for the 14-and-a-half-hour adventure, I quickly browse through all the movies on the screen in front of me, thankful for the needed source of entertainment during the fourteen hours. They always have all the classics, including Harry Potter and Disney classics. My mom and I always fight for the window seat, wanting to watch the view but also lean against the flight walls as support.
It's essential to get at least some semblance of sleep during the flight to at least make the effect of jet lag a bit milder. I don’t follow my own advice though as I barely manage to sleep for a few hours, preferring to listen to music, watch tv and read without disturbance, including eating snacks.
I’m a huge foodie, so I always check the plane’s website to look at the in-flight dining menu. Going against a popular opinion, I love plane food, not because of the food, but because of the vibe there. The bliss of eating junk food or just classic Indian food while watching a classic movie on the screen in front of you while you’re 32,000 feet in the air is something different. Plus there’s always an appetizer, meal, bread, cheese and desert, one of the best combinations.
At some point you get bored of watching the tv and want to rest your eyes, but it’s definitely a feat trying to go to sleep, with the constant rattling of the plane and someone talking or walking past the aisle. The lights of the plane get dim as the sun goes down outside though, and fake stars glisten in the ceiling of the plane.
Finally, after the sun comes up, the plane soon lands. At the end of a 14-hour journey, a layover awaits us in Dubai, thankfully a small one, only 3 hours where we can freshen up, stretch our legs and get ready to board a plane once again to take us to our final destination. This three-hour flight is much more spacious, with more leg room and wider screens. It helps build the anticipation for our arrival to one of my favorite cities in the world, my forever home, Mumbai. The city is completely different at night, the series of lights flickering in the distance below us.
It's truly a unique experience just to get to that city, and once you reach there is a whole other vibe. The air just hits you once you leave the airport, and you reminiscence the time you used to live here, where this was your only home. I feel nostalgic every time I go to Mumbai, carrying our hefty luggage and moving our way through the city, like the inhabitant of a maze that is always going to be ingrained in your mind.