Saturday 15 September 2007

Toothbrush In My Bag, Butterflies In My Stomach

Tomorrow I'm off for a vacation like none I've had before. I'm travelling alone. No friends, no family, noone. Just me, a camera and my iPod. I get an odd feeling thinking about it.

Part of what I'm feeling is anticipation. After all, I'm going to Borobodur which is one of the places on my "must set foot in before I die" list. I'm particularly looking forward to the ten-hour train ride from Jakarta, since I have not been on a train in years (and never before in Indonesia). It's a daytime train, so I can stare out the window for hours with music tinkling out of my earphones.

I'm also a bit nervous. What if I get bored silly? What if I absolutely hate not having a companion to exchange notes with, to watch over my bag while I'm in the loo, to split dessert with because we both ate too much at dinner and to generally shoot the breeze with? What if it turns out that I am social animal after all? What if I want to come back home the day after I leave but I can't because there are no seats available on any flight except the one I am already booked on but that leaves from a different city four days later?

And I'm feeling a bit guilty. Because the companion who will not be with me, who I wish could have been with me, will be at home.

But I do still really really want to go to Borobodur. And I do still really really want to find out what happens in my head when I am alone in another country with noone I know to talk to for four days but myself. So I'm going to go and I'm going to have a great time. And when it's done I'm going to be delighted to be back home. And just a little bit relieved that it turned out all right after all.

In the meantime...I'm tagging!

Yes, that means Y, Shrenik, Rayshma in particular, and anyone else who feels like a bit of daydreaming, if you had to go for a solo vacation, where would you go?

4 comments:

unpredictable said...

Oh wow .. uve inspired me!! Im going to take up the tag though :) Have a great trip! May ur thoughts be your best friend and everything you need :)

rayshma said...

umm... is that me in p'lar.. or d 3 of us who're tagged in p'lar...? guess am jetlagged!
me loves the tag... but need to get out of jetlag & unpacking... wl kp u posted when i go dreamin'... :)

Yashodhara said...

lowe it, lowe it, what a beeyootiful tag...will do soon...now reading about your journey...

shrenik said...

I'd go on a homage trip - either to Dali (because his work intrigues the heck out of me) or Scorsese (because he is an influence I cannot shake off).
This would vaguely mean visiting places that let me experience what shaped these gents.
By the end of it, It'd be nice to have a sketch or a script outline that is my interpretation of their work's essence. Or not.

p.s. -
1. sorry for the delayed response; Try as I might to get anything done, Calcutta slows me down.
2. I fully share your sense of dread at planning a solo thing. And that's only half because I rely on her to get the trip running smoothly. How life changes. :)