This itinerant traveller’s blog has given others with wanderlust on their mind, a reason to put their feet forward, again and again
Anita with a fellow traveller, during a walk in the Swiss mountains.
Anita Bora believes that she might finally have gone over to the ‘other’ side. The rootless side, one where you submit all sense of excruciating belonging; give in to the adventure of the unknown and become a global citizen. Born in Jorhat, schooled in Shillong, with a college education from Guwahati and early adulthood divided between Pune’s freedom, Mumbai’s local trains and Sydney’s urbane haven; when Anita finally landed in Bengaluru – the city that would come closest to being her ‘home’ – the seeds of her travels were already sown in her untired life. It is no wonder then, that this Bengaluru writer’s blog, Just a Little Something, has been regularly featured in lists of top travel blogs, thanks to her honest reviews, amazing photographs and entirely crazy journeys around the world.
“I don’t travel for travel’s sake,” says Anita from her temporary home in the US where she is right now. The wanderer continues, “I left home pretty early in life (by Indian standards) after I had finished college. From the North-east, I travelled to Pune and that was a big leap for me. But it was just the beginning of my journey. I haven’t stopped travelling since. I lived in Mumbai for a while but soon realised that travelling by local trains everyday was not my idea of life. I left the city in 2004 and the world opened up. I started my wanderlust when I was in Bengaluru – the city affords you some excellent overnight travel opportunities. I then did a solo backpacking trip in Europe in 2005. And what can I say? I went on to expand the boundaries of my world every year!”
While to the quotidian tourist a mishap like the loss of a passport could be reason enough to stay away from travelling forever, for this chronicler of adventures, it’s an opportunity for a great story to unfurl itself. And it is this candid love for the unknown that defines Anita’s travel aesthetic. She says, “I lost my passport while travelling in Spain and my visa was issued in Switzerland. So, I spent a couple of days running to and fro the embassy and then had to miss a few flights. But... it was meant to be. And I also learnt a valuable lesson: don't put your passport in a bag without inside pockets while cycling!”
Her cycle, of course, has become an integral part of her travels and features more often than she does in the well-shot pictures of her blog. Always game for an authentic experience, Anita is one of the few travellers who seem to always find a window for her passions on travel. She says, “I love going for runs (of course, making sure I know my way back!). So when I reach a town or city, the first thing I try and find is a good running trail or route! Cycling is a “faster” way to see places – not as fast as a vehicle where you miss anything, but quicker than walking. I recently went to Belgium where I decided to live and work with a family on a farm and get a taste of rural life. I trekked the Swiss Alps with a local friend and was blown away by the pristine countryside. I did a ceramics course while I was visiting friends in the US. I was amazed by the arts and crafts of Gujarat and came back with renewed respect for our craftspeople.”
The one place that Anita keeps going back to are the serene villages of Goa. The woman who has been caught in Alpine blizzards, has walked the length of the toughest trails on the Andies and has braved journeys alone also finds herself going back to Shillong, where she grew up. Anita says, “Some places just strike a particular chord in you – there's no way to understand it. You just have to accept and give in. Travel is like that, right? Not always predictable. And there's always a surprise element. Someone said I have wheels on my feet. Maybe I do. And I’m hoping to do a cycling trip in Europe in 2016. And maybe lead a fun, adventure-filled trip to some of my favourite parts of India – anyone wants to join me?”
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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