Live life to the fullest is Molly Joy's simple philosophy towards life.
For the 61-year-old from Thripunithura that means going around the world and making new friends. And that's exactly what she has been doing by saving enough from the provisions store she has been running for the past 26 years.
Molly used to travel across the country with those from her neighbourhood till her husband died in 2004. Then as the travelogues of overseas trips in magazines sold at her shop sowed in her mind the seeds of travelling beyond the borders, she took the passport in 2010. The dream turned true a couple of years later by which time her daughter and son were married and settled.
"My first trip abroad was a 10-day visit across Europe covering France, Italy, Switzerland and the Vatican among others. The last was a 15-day trip to the US last November," she recollects fondly.
Working tirelessly without holidays at her shop is Molly's way of saving for fulfilling her insatiate desire for globetrotting. While she runs the shop every single day, including Sundays and festivals, she packs in a few extra hours once the plan for a new trip takes shape. To make up the shortfall, she joins chits and even pawns her ornaments, which she recoups without fail on return. A frequent traveller of sorts, she is now quite a popular customer of the travel agency that arranges her trips.
"Often, my fellow passengers are couples from other States while I share the room with single women like me in the group. Making new friends is one of the biggest joys of travelling and I am in touch with most of them even now through WhatsApp. Though from a different social status level from them, they used to take very good care of me during the trips," Molly said.
Since the first trip, she had been to Singapore, Malaysia, and London not to mention the trips to Agra and Delhi in between. While she fell in love with Switzerland, London remains her favourite city, the cruise between Amsterdam and Rome her most unforgettable trip, and Niagara and Eiffel Tower the most memorable sights. Her children have been the greatest pillars of support. They never demand any money from her shop and keep encouraging her to travel as much as she wants. Molly also credits her loyal clients for being able to live her dream. "My only income is from my shop and without their support none of this would have been possible," she says.
Last year's American trip had kind of busted her, leaving her with little savings for another trip anytime soon. But that hardly stops her from dreaming of that next trip. As Molly keeps saying, she wants to keep travelling till her death.
