As children, we travel with parents, make a scrap book and then maybe write an essay on ‘where I travelled during my vacations’. By the time we reach high school, scrap books graduate to albums following a school excursion.
As the process of studying and aging continues, there comes a time when the little kid who wrote an essay, steps out of the house to pursue a specialised subject in order to give a definite turn to the career.
One could be studying psychology, engineering, medical or even IIT. But the travelling does not stop. Students pursuing higher and specialised studies aren’t just neck deep in studies and projects. In between, most of them are taking the time out to check out places in and around the state they are studying in or visit their friends from nearby towns and states. Why else would a student studying in Chennai land in Bihar and feel excited. “It was a sudden short break and we didn’t see any point in being stuck in the hostel. Our friend Abhishek decided to go home, he was checking tickets and impulsively three of us joined him. We weren’t prepared with money, so we booked sleeper class tickets and off we went. Bihar isn’t what we see in movies. After this first trip, none of us wasted our holidays — from Orissa to Tirupati to Mahabalipuram, Chandigarh and even Nagpur, I have seen places which weren’t on my list of ‘to see.’ These visits are an experience of a life-time. It might not be very glamorous but it definitely is an enriching experience,” says Drithiman Deh, who is studying in Chennai’s SRM University. Is that the reason why he opted for Bangalore during his placements? “It is one of the reasons, I want to see South India in totality and make myself rich in experience.”
If Drithiman and his pals made that one impulsive trip that led to many others, there are others who plan their course and university in order to see most of what they wouldn’t or cannot plan individually. Eager travellers also say photographs make them curious and then there is the history connect or just the wish to lead life like a traveller and travel to places where their friends come from. None of them go with a lot of money, so this opens their minds to sharing traveller’s hostels, take innumerable bus rides and hop and in and out of trains. But Bojja Arjun Reddy who was pursuing his Masters’degree from University of Vienna has a different explanation: “More than being economical, having someone who can show you around a new place can be a big bonus. There is no other way I would have it. But yes having a place to stay is an added advantage in a new city. And the fact that you can further your bond with your batch mates, makes visiting towns which are not touristy, that much more attractive.”
Arjun’s first visit was to Ljubljana. “One of my batch mates who was from Slovenia had organised a bunch a trip for us to visit his country and as luck would have it, one of my favourite bands was performing in Ljubljana. That trip was magic to say the least,” he recollects. Adding to Arjun’s views Priya B, pursuing sociology at Hungary adds, “I would have never thought of staying in a hostel while travelling. This leads to the experience of sharing travelling memories and then it gives the lead to the next place to see. One don’t just travel, in the process we learn.”
Almost everyone studying abroad, no matter how busy their schedule, makes sure to set aside some time to see the country, the places in and around and then definitely be at a place where there are lot of Indians.
Noel Richie was in Busan for his Masters degree and after a few frightfully lonely weeks, he decided to be his own companion. He set out “to see the city first. Made friends and then I wasn’t left alone. I have seen some of the great places in the region and also was a part of the film festival where a few Indian movies were screened.”
