Traveller at heart, missing her soul: My 20th letter to my Grandchildren documenting lessons from COVID-19 times

{This is the 20th post of the series where I will be writing 26 Letters to my Grandchildren about life and lessons during these tricky COVID19 times. Letter1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5, 6 , 7, 8 ,9 , 10 , 11 ,12, 13 , 14, 15, 16 , 17 , 18 and 19 can be found here} 

23 April

Vadodara

5:16 a.m. 

30th day of Lockdown

Good morning, my little heart!

I left you on a cliffhanger yesterday by asking you to guess what my today’s letter will be about? I was kidding, it’s ok if you couldn’t  and bravo if you could even remotely. Today I want to write to you about what I am missing the most during this lockdown, my dear. No, I am not missing eating out or shopping or going on a movie date, what my heart is really craving for is a travel to a far away island or a mountain or a beach. I want to backpack once again and bring the old me alive who strolled carefree in unknown territories chatting to the locals. I really wonder when will those days come back again and this traveller at heart shall find her soul. 

In my entire life child, I had never amassed wealth, instead have amassed experience and knowledge and most of it has come through extensive travel. I have always had wheels on my feet and my journey began in my childhood  when my banker dad got transferred every three years. As if that was not enough, he loved mountains and we went hiking in a new hill station every year. So I had covered almost the whole of India by the time I was on my own. Then my jobs made me travel all across the globe. For me one of the best incentives to do them was the satisfaction of the soulful traveller in me. Then I married your grandpa and your dad was born. To my surprise both of them turned out to be extreme wanderlusts too. What else could have I asked for. Travelling with them was now a pleasure of a different level when you have your family around you. 

Your dad grew up in Pune as for last nine years we have been there. It is the city where my heart resides. When your grandpa and I were doing our engineering we had decided we will settle in this gorgeous and silent city and we did. We build our tiny abode there and took exhaustive vacations at least twice a year. Your granddad always asked me what should he gift me and I told it’s our world tour that’s going on step by step, I need nothing else. I was ecstatic drowning my soul in the nectar of fathoming newer places and countries each time. My academy was doing well too and so yes life looked so sorted and blissful in Pune until last October of course with its routine hiccups.

Then came a huge professional opportunity for your grand dad in Delhi and we had to shift in October’19. It broke our hearts as for your dad and me, our friends, our life was all in Pune. Your dad assisted me in my academy batches and was learning by leaps and bounds and this satiated the mom in me. Nevertheless,  this was your grand dad’s dream venture and we stood by his dreams. We felt uprooted but took a few months to settle things yet again in Delhi. The fact that I came to Delhi as a new bride helped as we had some fond memories to relive. Delhi was furious though with extreme pollution, the harshest winters and riots in these four months.

Now, by the time we settled in Delhi, we came to Vadodara and got stuck here and for the past 40 days building up a life here again amidst lockdown. Just a few months back we were blissfully elated Puneites and now feel like absolute nomads who live out of our suitcases and can settle anywhere quickly even if we are pandemic hit. In fact I will say these #COVID19 times have taught me the most because I have no privileges here in Vadodara, know no one, neither the shops and are totally locked down. It has made me acquire the skills I never thought I can but yes I knew how to adapt and that helped.

This is today’s lesson my child, be adaptable, adapting to the circumstances quickly shall save you from sulking and resisting any unwanted change. This is life and it will have its set of ups and downs, taking both in our stride is what shall make us a champion in life.  I agree till then the traveller in me will miss her soul but I will wait as this too shall pass! 

Sending you loads of love my little angel 

Your granny 

Roma

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Hi Everyone, thanks for dropping by, this is my fifth consecutive #BlogchatterA2Z as well as global #AtoZchallenge and this year I will be writing ‘26 letters to my grandaughter’ with a special purpose which shall unfold as you read this series. In case you wish to check out what I wrote in the previous 4 challenges here are the links 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. 

If you like what I write, you can grab the copies of my four published ebooks here: The Fragrance of True Love, Destiny's Favorite Child, Dare to Defy The Destiny and Empowered Women Empower Women