Even if I settle down anywhere in the world, my roots will always be in India. I know, I don’t appreciate much about being in India, but often I dream of my childhood home, which makes me miss India. It’s not like everything is sunshine and rainbows, and often I feel like pulling my hair out! Most of the time, the weather is hectic, and people are judgmental. However, I enjoyed my last trip to India to the core, where I relived my nostalgia through different experiences and things.
I should say, it was scorching hot, and I was sweating all the time, but that didn’t restrict me from having the time of my life. I drank plenty of ‘home-well’ water and ate home-grown bananas that satisfied my soul and provided me with energy. I would love to share with you the things that made me feel good while I was on the trip, so keep reading!
- Greenery: I can proudly say that my hometown is much greener than any other place I’ve ever visited! I’m not exaggerating, but to be honest, I haven’t been to that many places! The trees, the paddy fields, and even the weeds make the land beautiful. It actually positively affects your mood and is so relaxing to the eyes. I adore everything about where I live, but greenery is what I miss the most!
- Food: I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t love their hometown cuisine. I believe Indians, in particular, are most nostalgic about ‘Ghar ka Khana’ (homemade food). This time, I made it a point to indulge in all the nostalgic foods I’ve been craving. This included my mother’s cooking, mouthwatering dishes from local spots like the Indian Coffee House, and homegrown fruits and vegetables. As I mentioned earlier, they truly satisfy my soul.
- Old Vanity Boxes: I confess, I’ve had a soft spot for cosmetics and accessories since I was young. I’ve always been fascinated by them, both seeing and owning them. This time, I stumbled upon some old boxes that used to keep my accessories and makeup and let me tell you, they brought back some old memories.! I even found a pair of earrings gifted by my cousin 20 years ago, tucked away in one of the boxes. How cool is that! I think the hoarder in me has started vanishing by the age and if I think of it, I don’t own any kind of these boxes at all and I have already thrown the old things away!
- Grocery shopping at local stores: I loved going grocery shopping with my mother when I was young because at the end of the trip, she would buy me sweets and snacks. I used to eye the things I wanted as soon as we entered the store, but back then, life wasn’t always kind enough to give me everything I desired. My sister and I had to choose just one thing that we really wanted. Even now, I still love seeing those sweets and snacks displayed in bottles at the store counters.
- Local Fancy Shop Visits: As I mentioned before, I’m fond of cosmetics and accessories, and the local fancy stores always intrigued me. So, I tried to relive my memories by visiting them and purchasing some of the tiny things that bring me happiness. But I have to admit, I wanted to buy a multi-colored liquid bindi, but they didn’t have the particular golden shade I was looking for, so I decided against it.
- Foraging: I believe the real luxury is when you can grow your own food on a piece of land that you own! Trust me! In this era, it’s super hard to achieve that. As I read somewhere, my ultimate goal is to have a small home with large windows and a garden where I can grow my own food. So, feeling a bit delusional, I foraged some local fruits while I was in India, hoping that in the future, I could do it on a larger scale.
- Friends: I always manage to meet up with my friends whenever I visit India. However, due to my tight schedule, I asked one of my friends if she could come visit me. She was so sweet that she came to my house and stayed with me for a day, even bringing me gifts! Next time, I’ll definitely make sure to meet the rest of my friends as well!
- Temple Visits: Last but not least, back then, I was religious and visited temples almost every day. I used to find immense relief from stress when I visited temples, and my hometown, Kerala, has the largest number of temples. This time, I managed to visit 2-3 temples I really wanted to, and I’m extremely happy and grateful for that!
I hope everyone reading this can relate to this blog, and I’m sure you would also have a list of nostalgic things and experiences you would desperately want to try again. So, I’m urging you, to make that list before your next holiday and plan it out! Trust me, it’ll be so worth it! And remember, your roots are waiting for you over there!
