To Travel Or Not to Travel: Quest to 40

Around the same time, last year, I starting prepping up for Mohit's 40th Birthday. What to gift? What to do? How to make it special blah blah...During the same time, I remembered that I was going to hit 40 too. Soon if not sooner. And I did some soul searching on what I had achieved and what I wanted to do before I hit the coveted 40. One random flash in my mind and I hit upon the idea of 'Travelling to 40 countries before I turn 40.' After all, I loved to travel. So wouldn't that be a great mark to sit on when i turn 40 years of age? The idea sounded too cool.

Fast Forward to June 2019, while vacationing in Scandinavia and sitting in my 30th country. I remembered the vow I made. All the time realising that I was 15 months away from my birthday and 10 countries to do. A huge ask. A strain on budgets. A large pool of time. Something inside me told me that I needed to do this for myself. I needed to have a goal and go all out for it. The 'Ja Simran, Jee le Apni Zindagi' moment came when Mohit backed me to say , 'You have my support, Go do it!'

So here I am, with around 400 days to go and 10 countries to visit. I am planning itineraries and exploring locations I have always wanted to visit. I am shunning other expenses because I have to allocate resources for this. I am prepping the kids that I will be missing in action for a few days each month or so the next year. Last but not the least, I am preparing myself to travel solo. Because if I need to do this on a budget, I need to do it alone.

So if you are a friend or family who loves me and wishes to see me happy on my 40th, then do me a favour. Visit a new country with me. Pick up the phone and choose one of the below mentioned itinerary and say 'lets do this together'. I promise to have a good time together.

I am not a tourist but a traveller. I will explore. I might have to do some countries in a hurry, maybe less than 24 hours at one place. But I will enjoy them. I am doing it for a purpose. And the purpose is ME.

Suggested itinerary- Pls remember all holidays will be low budget. Cheap Airlines, Airbnb stays, road travel(wherever possible) etc etc...

August 15 Weekend-5 Days(Open)

Seychelles & Madagascar

September 13- Birthday Week(Penultimate 39)- 7 days(Open)
1. Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium
2. Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary

Nov 3 Week- Dad's 70th Bday Celebration(Part Family, Part Open)
1.Cambodia, Laos
2. Bhutan

March 2020- Anniversary with Husband(Sealed with a Kiss)
Jordan, Israel, Egypt

April 2020- 4-5 Days(Open)
1.Japan
2. Bhutan

June 2020- Family Vacation time(Committed)
Croatia, Slovenia, Leichtenstein
Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Montenegro