“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”
~Lao Tzu

The recent hot topics being people self-quarantining themselves during this imposed lockdown, I feel is a blessing in disguise. As we’re all being compelled to be indoors, there is a magic spell that was cast by some Higher Power, granting us all the secret wishes we’ve held so dearly close to our bosom for years after years. The excuses for anything and everything, being ‘not having enough time.’ Or “I’m busy this weekend, let’s catch up next week.” Or “I’d try out this dish when I have time.” Or “I’d read this book when I’d get a relaxed day.” Or “I’m too old to do this now.” And so on… We’re finally out of excuses and here we are, doing all the incomplete things pending for years.

Yet we manage to complain…

Now, we miss our busy life that made us forget so many issues we tried running away from. Or a book that forced to introspect or focus on one thing for a really long time. Spend time with the family that is rather annoying at times. Or just being confined in between four walls, seeing same old faces of the folks we’re stuck with. Or simply look deep into our own eyes, staring back at us in the mirror.

The one thing that I’ve dearly been craving is to be outdoors and travel. Travel a lot. Far and wide, and around the world. And yet, all I can manage right now, is from my room to the kitchen. Kitchen to living room. Living room to our garden. Back into the house and another room. And well… go around the home so many times, trying to seek amusement in the same things in different ways. My mind wanders though. Taking me to places all around the world. In past as well as in future. Wanting to change so many things. Wanting to relive so many experiences. Wanting to feel certain touches, smells and feelings. Say the words that never left my mouth. Take different decisions, and change course of life. Or simply let the decisions be the same, and have a wiser me back then.

But, I am in this moment, sitting here and writing. Having my eyes forced to open wide, and look at the things around me. In this almost vacant household, I realized I have started spending far more time with myself, deep in thoughts introspecting and contemplating. A way of exploring untouched corners of my being. As if on a journey within myself. Visiting corners I never knew existed. The places I never imagined were accessible.

“To live happily is an inward power of the soul.”
~Marcus Aurelius

My course of travel changed forever, during one of my study tours, where I decided to leave my camera behind, and take in all experiences with all other senses and into those moments, than chase fancy frames to capture in my camera. As that travel taught me a lot, so has this lockdown been teaching me lessons in not-so-amusing ways. Making each experience not just brush by, but take us along by our arm.

While we walk some dark paths all alone, we often value the feet that walked alongside. It is beautiful what words can do or be. As I learnt to live without so many ways and means, I had some strong arms holding me close to them. My journey inwards has all the warmth that I require, and then some travel tales rekindle the joy of not being bound to one place. Carrying home within ourselves, and not having to be upset making a move from place to place from time to time. The value of familiarity, freedom and above all, hope. Hope for a brighter day, and a brand new beginning.

While I find myself a person who had a gypsy soul and find a nomadic life a lot fancier, I also know what returning home feels like. Returning to oneself, the safest place to reside. We’re safe inside the walls of our beautiful mind, which colours each and every aspect of life in ways we can barely contain within our minds eye. Where we decide what picture to paint, irrespective of all the chaos happening outside.

“Sometimes life drops blessings in your lap without your lifting a finger. Serendipity, they call it.”
~Charlton Heston

I met her during my most anticipated travels at college. As my camera was left back home, I could be more aware and available to the things happening around. I don’t exactly remember if it was the way she smiled with all her face, or the familiar air around her, I found her quite intriguing. It is so rightly said, that one can pour their heart out to strangers. But then, strangers are just friends awaiting to be made. I always enjoy reading travel blogs, and even though fashion is not something I consciously look into in my adult life, I enjoyed designing right since childhood. She made me revisit my childhood with a gushing wave of nostalgia. Many years later, when I happened to read one of her articles on her website, I realized what I felt back then, was a kind of bond that made me recognize a person I knew so well as a soul. Prarthana, a prayer answered in the form of a beautiful friendship. So many of her ideals and outlook towards life resonated deeply with mine, and I knew for a fact that I had found a friend as also a soul-sister for life. As Jean de La Fontaine says, “Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer.” We bonded in a time of crisis, a rare friendship across the world.

I often wonder what time does to any friendship. It sieves through its pores, and retains the thick bonds that refuse to leave our side. I’ve been experiencing deeper bonds in shorter period of time, than those that ran shallow for almost a lifetime. I have been seeing so much of myself in her, and everytime we converse, I realise I am not the only one to have dreams and desires that break normal status quo. She inspires me to fearlessly continue chasing my dreams. While also, a friendly ear for my worries and sorrows. A true listener always heals.

Her love for Fashion and fashion designing fascinates me. While being quarantined, she amazes me with her in-house artwork. Quite literally. While she has been taking a Fashion Designing course she continues to inspire me to consider half-baked childhood dreams, to be reconsidered well over again.

Another aspect that intrigued me about her, besides her sensitivity, art and wisdom, was her knowledge about Astrology. I barely know anyone as young as her, handling topics like these with such grace and depth of understanding. While we’re bound by earthly knowledge, I find her reaching out for greater wisdom. Needless to say, I know this with experience.

During being self quarantined, I have got ample time to be mindful of so many things happening in and around me. While she talks of so many other things to do during self quarantine, I see a lot of simple yet profound ideas to incorporate in a normal course of a day. At my end, I find a lot of peace that runs through the voids in between some eternal moments that cease conclude. People pleasantly surprising, while others unpleasantly so. The deep knowing that all these things that are happening, have a higher purpose to serve, makes this journey worthwhile. My journey within, without…

“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.”
~Wayne W. Dyer