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offthegridpunjan · 7 years

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“Off the Grid in Punjab” Sept. 2017 Blog

by Suzy Davis

“Coddiwomple” means to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination. I’ll be coddiwompling my way to regions unknown to me. Intentionally, I google nothing and reviewed no maps. This would dilute my joy of discovery. I revel in the element of surprise to confirm the axiom, ‘Tourists don’t know where they’ve been and travelers don’t know they’re going.”

Born with genetic wanderlust, I have an insatiable curiosity to explore the globe and seek the exotic places to reboot my passion for travel. Third World journeys always give me a story to tell. , I can never become a story teller sipping umbrella drinks on a cruise ship. Bring it on! …places that speak no English, broken infrastructure, no electricity (I have a butane hair curler) and funky toilets. There’s always challenges to get one’s adventure on. For me, an ordeal is preferable to a pampered vacation. Not everyone understands this, but it’s not their journey to make sense of.

I like to feel vulnerable because it teaches me patience, open mindedness, tolerance and respect for people unlike me. More important, it keeps me humble to depend on God and the kindness of strangers. It erodes my ego. The farther I go, the smaller I become. And it’s a spiritual experience that makes me acutely aware of all my American blessings. I start overflowing gratitude for all I’ve taken for granted the past year.

Understand I love my home and husband, but each year I get the itch that can’t be scratched. The great affair is to move and be soothed. I must exit my comfort zone to practice self-sufficiency and strengthen my weakened self-confidence. There’s often pre-departure apprehension (like what if I die) but I won’t allow that to cheat me from the thrill of exploration.

At home abroad, sometimes the adrenaline of fear hits but this can be my high, my dopamine from conquering dark moments. I become a Travel Warrior suited up with the armor of courage to face any perilous situation. Wherever I am, I find kind locals I call my “angels with skin on“ who are sent directly from heaven in the midst of my path. My Higher Power then grows ten times larger. Still, I’m not stupid. On arrival, I’ll buy a hijab head cover and a beautiful pink sari to wear and blend in with the locals.

The Where – I love to just allow the wind to blow me where it will but I have a plan in Punjab. I’ll begin in Amristar, ‘Land of Sikhs’, those gentle souls who wear the funny head turbans. At the Golden Temple, I’ll help serve the 100,000 daily meals in the world’s largest dining room and I’ll ride rickshaws to the bazaars. Then to the eco-mecca of Billing Valley high in the Himalayas and paragliding capital of the world.

I’ll explore Dharamshala, ‘Little Tibet’, a serenely spiritual place where I hope to meet with the Dali Lama. (My friend is trying to secure an appointment for me. If not possible, I’ll meet his cousin Roger. Roger Lama.) Later, if fate allows, I’ll continue to Lahore Pakistan and Shimla in Himachel Pradesh. Finally in crazy Delhi, I’ll visit ‘School Under a Bridge’ of 200 kids with 1 teacher. Then my bucket list dream – the world’s most charitable animal shelter and elephant hospital – Wildlife SOS. I have no desire to see endless hysterical monuments, temples, palaces and must-see sites. I want to play charades with unwashed children and chew some delicious Punjabi foods. I wanna get lost in Authenticity.

The Why –

1. Because it’s there, to escape to a place I’ve never been.

2. It’s part site inspection. If these places make my heart leap, I’ll send an Adventures for Singles group here.

3. To give trinkets to children. This tickles my heart.

4. Finally, this runaway is a gift to myself to celebrate my birthday. It’s a Big One yet I’m filled with gratitude for the privilege of being alive. Traveling far always makes me feel young again!

Please come join me and follow my blog posts so that I don’t feel so alone. Adventure beckons!

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