Z is for Zesty & Zany Life

The Conclusion, that continues…

As the curtains draw to a remarkable close to the month of A to Z Challenge 2017, a part of me is despondent and the other part, happy as a lark. Despondent at the thought of the closure, happy at the idea of taking a break from the rigours of writing, researching, editing, posting, cross posting, commenting etc (for a bit). I intend to turn these 26 posts into a book. I’m considering an e-book for now. But before I step into the process I will take a week-long break from writing and cool my heels by the seaside, where who knows another travel epiphany will strike.

Today’s post is about keeping that zest for life alive coupled with ones zaniness. And what better way to do so, than by travelling? I feel travelling helps keep that zing in our lives intact and assists in powering our quirkiness. Travelling teaches us to be alive, to appreciate the small things that life has to offer and look at them in wonder and enchantment; things that we often take for granted – like wildlife, nature, history. Traveling opens out the doors of our life to a whole new world, beyond the confines of our four walls or cities we inhabit; to places unknown to us, to cultures and traditions we never knew existed. Travelling opens up our mind and horizons, and leaves us with a treasure trove of precious memories that can never be re-claimed, but only re-visited through pictures, words and impressions of our mind and soul. Traveling is like elixir to a parched soul. Every person in this world needs to travel, even if it is with a shoe-string budget because traveling will not only leave you rejuvenated, but will add a whole new dimension to the life you live.

My two favourite authors whose quotes on travel, that resonate with me are here for you to read:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”  ― Mark Twain

“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.”  ― Pico Iyer

It gives me a sense of pride to say that I am not only bitten by wanderlust but also have Frenweh (n.) pronounced as FIERN-veyh

Both Wanderlust and Fernweh are German words.

The term Wanderlust originates from the German words wandern (to hike or to wander) and Lust (desire), meaning you have a lust for travel.

Fernweh, which literally translates to distance-sickness (fern meaning distant and wehe meaning drift), refers to a longing for far-off places

Fernweh is a deeper feeling of wanderlust. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that  feeling fernweh is that it doesn’t just magically disappear. It’s something that can only be cured by getting out there, traveling and exploring. It’s ache can only be cured through travel adventures.

I have also observed that off late I have vacillated between the feeling of wanderlust and fernweh. A part of me always desires to travel every other month, which I more often than not do. And the other part of me has now has started experiencing fernweh, especially after having written these travel tales and the magical epiphanies that came with them. I am longing to visit the places I have already been to, as all these posts were a beautiful reminder of the scintillating experiences I had when I was there. The other part of me also aches to visit the places I have not been to and will hopefully go to someday. You can read about them at Yonder and Beyond

Meanwhile, I will continue to nourish and nurture my soul with huge amounts of wanderlust and fernweh in the years to come, after all I have to keep the zest and zaniness intact in my life.

So, here’s the travel enthusiast signing off the A to Z Challenge 2017, by sending out deep gratitude to the universe, my DH, both my girls, my friends; for these stellar travel experiences and the A to Z organisers, blogging community and my readers, and new blogger friends (Kim, Ger, Sue, Arlee, Marquess, Nilanjana, and a few others) for giving me an opportunity to share these stories and helping me put them in words and making them come alive for myself, once again.

My theme for this year’s Blogging from A-Z Challenge is Travel Epiphanies that are my very own tales of adventure and revelation. I will be writing 26 posts throughout the month of April. You can read my theme here.