I rember one solo journey I took to discover myself decades ago.. Away from hustle bustle of a crowded city I was living , I suddenly went to a monastery run by some like minded folks to meditate up in the hills.. I was too young at that time to take meditation so seriously. Nevertheless, it was an amazing connection to something inner in oneself. Few fragments of that journey still remain with me..

It seems our love for travel and taking up journeys to unknown territory comes from a drive within.. Part of it is surely self discovery. In other words seeing life in a different perspective.

Different cultures and traditions take pilgrimages seriously. In the country I grew up , Sri Lanka, it took very little effort for young and old alike to pack few of the belongings and go on a journey to vist a holy place or to see ruins of an ancient palace or a temple. What a connection it creates with culture, nature and society..

Ironically, the same line of thought generated when I read the novel ” America For Biginners ” written so craft-fully by Leah Franqui.

A recently widowed Indian women -Pival Sangupta- takes a bold step to discover the life of the strange country-America – where her gay son went and died before her husband passed away. The author ties together in this journey three characters seem to be totally different and make them interact through out this journey of self discovery.

As the preconceptions of each other and about America get challenged, the unlikely companions learn different perspectives of life , thinking and revisiting their own judgements,values and beliefs.

Getting a different perspective about life is worthwhile.. As life is a journey to learn through different twists and turns. I believe the craze of travel and devotion for pilgrimages comes with a reason.