Moments on the road

Another long weekend is here and Bengalureans can’t wait to pack their bags and head out of the city. Such occasions are rare in the usually stressful lives of busy professionals but when opportunity knocks, they don’t want to pass up the chance.

“I am going on a bike ride to Gokarna with one of my friends who is coming from Kerala,” says Aswinlal Nair, an assets manager. “We will be starting on Saturday night, ride down to the place, spend a day or so there and then part ways from there itself. For us it is not about the destination, it is all about the journey,” he says adding that while usually he makes it a point to visit his family in his hometown during long weekends, this time he has decided to change that practice.

However, Rajesh R and his friends are sticking to their tradition of going for a trip once every year during a long weekend. “We are friends from school and over the past many years we have ensured that we travel together once a year,” says Rajesh.

“This time we are planning to go to Coorg. It is the least hottest place nearby and even though we have all been there separately, we want to visit it as a bunch. It is not the ideal weather right now but some of us are getting married soon and so this is also something like a bachelor trip,” he adds with a laugh.

Smaller, multiple vacations are the preferred format for most Indians nowadays and these trips are not just limited to domestic destinations.

International jaunts are also becoming increasingly popular among youngsters with disposable incomes
and what better than a long weekend to kickstart an extended vacation?
“I am travelling to Sri Lanka over the weekend and will stay there till the end of the week,” says Dibyanjana Chowdhury, an assistant digital marketing manager.

“It has been a long cherished dream of mine to go there ever since one of my managers went there for a visit. He came back full of praises for that dreamlike landscape and from then, I have planned to do this trip.”
Interestingly, Dibyanjana is going with a person she met during one of her solo travels in Pondicherry.

“Shruthi is a freelance marketeer and like me, was solo travelling in Pondicherry at that time. We quickly became friends and when I planned this trip, I asked her if she was interested in joining me. She said yes and here we are, all ready to fly!”They say if you travel far enough, you meet yourself. Here’s wishing you a great rendezvous soon.