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The tug of travel

 THE TUG OF TRAVEL 

by Nidhi Guglani 


There’s a part of me that aches to travel—

to breathe in new skies, taste unfamiliar spices,

walk where stories have lived for centuries,

and let places speak to me in their own tongue.


And yet,

a whisper of worry lingers.

Not fear, exactly,

but a quiet kind of apprehension.

Will I reach safely?

Will I disturb someone’s silence by simply going,

without announcing every step?


I’m someone who shares—

sometimes too much,

especially with those I hold close.

There’s comfort in being open.

But lately, even the act of sharing

feels like giving away a piece of my peace.


Still,

the pull of places is real.

Every destination has its own jam—

its rhythm,

its cuisine,

its scent and season,

its laughter echoing in the air.


Travel is not just about movement.

It’s a mood,

a taste,

a temperature,

a transformation.

A moment of becoming

something other than what you were

before you packed your bag.


Maybe it’s okay to hold a little back.

To move quietly.

To feel the thrill and still be cautious—

because journeys can be both

a leap

and a lesson.


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