How traveling helped me write my own poems

I have heard that traveling helps you explore your inner-self and to a certain extent I do believe it is true. I stared traveling around 4 years ago now and it has been a wonderful experience to explore new places, meet new people, get a different perspective to life from your fellow travelers, learn new things and most importantly get to know the real you.

One thing that I got to know about myself was I like taking pictures whenever I travel and this was something that I got from my dad. Back in the day my dad had saved money so that we can buy a Kodak manual camera and after buying it he used to save money to buy films and get our pictures printed. We have so many pictures at our place and these pictures brings back memories which brings a smile on our face.

But, while clicking pictures something that I learned about myself was - I can write poems. Whether they are good or bad is a different question. But these are the poems that helps me pen down my thoughts and express what I really think when ever I see the pictures. Pictures have been the real source of inspiration for me.

So the first poem I would like to share is from our last road trip to Iceland and the name of the poem is 'ROAD TRIP'. Iceland is a beauty! The mountains were covered with snow, it was an open road and the landscapes were just magnificent. What more can you ask for?

1) Road Trip:

Snow clad mountains and open blue sky,

Tar on the road and the white lines on the side.

Road is where we feel free,

Sometimes we take right, sometimes we take left and sometimes we get lost and that is how it is supposed to be.

Getting stuck in middle of nowhere is not the best feeling ever,

but it is surely something that you will remember forever.

We reach far away from our daily chores and are relived from our responsibilities,

We live our life to the fullest which is what we love and that is how it should be.

It was one of the best road trips that we have ever done and below is the picture that was a thought starter for me.

The next poem that I would like to share is inspired from everyone's life. I have observed people around me and I believe we are all running around behind something that is not at all important. I have always asked people around me to slow down and enjoy the life. So the name of my next poem is 'JUST STAY'

2) Just Stay

We all believe that moving forward in life is more fun,

Moving from one place to another and struggling under the sun.

We all want to achieve our dreams someday,

But we all forget to enjoy the best thing in our life which is TODAY.

We are all busy making money to tell our children our success stories,

And to create our story we all forget to create our own memories.

We can all stay clam without running behind anything as it is not going to go away,

The best place for you is where you are right now, so please just stay.

The next few poems are from my last trip to Spiti when I went back packing through the valley and witnessed some of the breath taking landscapes by far.

When I was in Nako I was mesmerized by the way clouds moved, forming different shapes and adding beauty to the mountains. So the name of my next poem is 'The way Clouds move'

3) The way Clouds move:

Clouds are the real travelers who wander across the world,

looking at it you get immense happiness which cannot be bought neither can be sold.

They are the best companion mountains can have,

Together they look most beautiful and they look bold.

I wish someday I can travel like the clouds,

with no boundaries to bound me,

Just like the clouds and mountains,

it will be my backpack and me!

While backpacking through Spiti one thing that I realized is - you are completely alive only when you are traveling and while we are in office we are almost half dead. So the name of the next poem is 'Travel to Live'

4) Travel to Live:

To travel is to live,

remembering the good things and rest to forgive.

You travel rough, rugged and out of your comfort zone,

admiring the mother nature - right from river, mountain and stones.

You like to travel places which are lesser unknown,

Getting rid of official emails and social media on your cell phone.

You want your travel to earn your regular bread and butter,

exploring your DSLR's ISO, WB and its shutter.

Travel makes you feel younger again,

Creating memories to be remembered over and over again.

Keep Traveling, Keep exploring!

There are so many different kinds of people whom you meet while you are traveling and there will always be stories that you would like to share with your pack once you are back home. So the name of the next poem is 'Stories' and I can say there are many stories that I can share from my last trip to Spiti.

5) Stories:

Right in the middle of open blue sky,

With the clouds we saw time going by.

We stayed right in the middle of a valley,

Feeding Rajma Chawal and chai to our hungry belly.

With river water we fulfilled our thirst,

With stories from fellow travelers we laughed out loud and burst.

We can never resist the lust of traveling to a new place,

Eventually going back home to tell stories and bringing a smile to everyone's face.

The latest poem that I have wrote is a special one. Since taking pictures is a gift that I got from my dad, the next poem is dedicated to my parents. The name of the next & last poem is 'Taking Pictures'

6) Taking Pictures:

I have seen my parents grow old,

When they were young they were fearless and they were bold.

With the years gone by they are looking back at things that they could have done,

Now they are making all the efforts to accomplish it with their daughter and their son.

I can see my parents being childish again - feeling younger than ever,

They are now trying to create memories that can last forever.

Taking pictures is what gets them going,

Capturing each and every moment as they are flowing.

Pictures are something that they will always hold on to,

Nothing will give them more happiness, no matter whatever you do.

My parents love traveling, however, we don't travel together that often. But this time we took a road trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town and it was a hell of a experience. I observed my parents on this trip and that is how I was able to write this poem. All they wanted was to click pictures with you and create memories that they can enjoy later. So please click pictures with your parents, that is the least you can do for them.

Please travel as much as possible. Explore a new place. Meet new people. And do share your stories.

I will be sharing my next blog on my last trip to Cape Town.

Until then, Keep traveling & Keep Exploring like a Tripster.