I'm losing track of life in Goa, so I'm just trying to reorganise my website and make it readable again as a method of updating you all while I'm travelling! I will try it this time and see if I can keep up with the blog posts, even if they are only a basic overview of life every 4-6 weeks!
I can truly say I had no idea Goa would grip me so tightly. As it nears the end of the season it's amazing to think of how much has happened, how many new experiences I've had and how many unbelievable people I've met in the blink of an eye! The first time I came to India I travelled solely in Tamil Nadu for a month in 2008. I was 16 years old, had never ridden in a tuk tuk, been stuck in a cow traffic jam, or had such massive sensory overload that I wanted to wretch, laugh and cry simultaneously. I certainly didn't have any idea how much this entire continent would captivate and enthrall me for the next few years. After eight and a half years and with about 15 new countries under my belt, I finally decided to explore India again. After landing in Mumbai from a very cold, English Christmas, I flew straight to Goa for the New Year parties (see my previous post about that!). I have been volunteering at Dreams Hostel for seven weeks now, and have had the most incredible time here, working, playing and relaxing in a way I could only imagine in my previous few job! As ever, travelling enables you to meet the most incredible and interesting people, I've learnt about religion, geography and history over dinner, at the beach and in the most informal way every school child hopes for. I've been captivated by the nationalities, the fashions and the individual stories behind each person's pilgrimage to Goa. But most of all, I, personally, have been changed in the most astronomically huge and yet extremely subtle way, through the discovery of music. I know it sounds ridiculous; I've always broken windows with my cat-screeching warbling and deafened everyone to distraction with my trial and error of plenty of childhood instruments, but it's more than the rhythm, the tempo, the melody, the volume etc. It's an all-consuming community; a way of life that means more than the all-night raves and the acute lack of sleep. Psytrance is about a realm of possibilities beyond the individual, beyond Goa, beyond India, and even the world. It's about this universe that is so self-immersed, and yet so much bigger than any of us can ever imagine. It's the creation of the weirdest and closest family of unique individuals imaginable. It's the warmth and friendliness with which everyone welcomes you into their dance, their world, their life. My understanding of Psytrance music is only in its infancy, but trapped in my little Goan bubble, it's been such an awe-inspiring and eye-opening few months that I can't wait to explore further. I'm starting to think about where I will go next and what I will explore in India after Goa, knowing that a little piece of my 'travellers home' will remain forever in my first season in Goa. Change is the only certainty in life, it's the reason I travel and the adventure I crave, but one thing's for certain, that I will definitely be back here!
0 Comments
|
About meI enjoy writing and have had experience from my degree and through working on news posts. I hope to use this blog as a summary of extraordinary things I've discovered or witnessed in everyday life. Archives
March 2020
|