I'm Wanderlost.

Hello pet,

Someone once said, "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." I often wonder where he went off to; lost his way in the Himalayas? Fell in love in Paris? Ate his heart out in the Americas?

I've lived all my life in Bangalore. The streets are more than familiar now, the faces are unforgettable. The traffic was never always the way it is now, and the air smelled sweeter. I've strolled on Gulmohar carpets, stuck its natural talons on my fingernails. Kaapi is my favourite, its decoction the first scent that greeted me every morning. Home was not just a little building in Hennur, but every street, every friend and all the dosas I ate.

When I left Bangalore, I knew there would be no replacement. I was devastated at the thought of saying goodbye to familiarity. Packed my bags, held in my heavy heart and turned my back to the greatest city in the world.

I've been to several cities since, several beaches and several highways. At every stop, my heavy heart got lighter, till I left a little piece of me where ever I went. I always wanted to go back when I left, and yet always yearned to go somewhere new at the same time. The Bangalore I know is now not a heart-tugging force pulling me back, but a fond memory of a beautiful yesterday.

Is there a name for this feeling? I hear it's called Wanderlust. It's a bittersweet, ambitious, pleasant, dreamy feeling. Your feet are foreign to the ground, and your bags are always ready to go. Your bank doesn't agree much, yet you align your pennies with ticket discounts.

I want you to feel grounded, I want you to know the comfort of Home. I want you to have a place to look back at with happy tears, and I want you to know that there will be a warm meal and a cup of fresh kappi waiting for you when you feel like it.

Yet, I want your geographical loyalties to be free. To not be bound but to be ever-changing. You must go, to the Himalayas and the Andes too. You must learn the value of 'entertaining a thought, without accepting it.' You must understand cultural differences, yet remember that a loving touch and a kind word are universal gifts.

Yes, I want you to be Wanderlost.

Signing off,
Mumsy