Some places are lovely while you are there. You take the photos, come home, and slowly move on.
Then there are places that stay in your head. You find yourself talking about them months later, or looking at a photograph and thinking, I would go back there tomorrow.
These are three of mine. For three very different reasons.
Rameswaram, India
I grew up hearing the stories of Rama, Vibhishana and the bridge to Lanka. Then one day I was standing in Rameswaram, looking at a stone connected to those stories.
I held it in my hands. Water was dripping from it. I remember being curious about the stone itself, but also about everything I had heard growing up.
Was I suddenly going to understand the whole story in one visit? Of course not. I had more questions when I left.
Maybe that is why I want to return. Rameswaram gave me that feeling of being close to a story much bigger than myself. I would like to spend more time there, listen more and see what else I notice.
Isha Foundation, Coimbatore
At Isha, I stood in front of Adiyogi and went quiet.
That might sound simple. For me, it isn’t always easy.
Most days I am thinking about work, the next decision, the next call, or what I have forgotten to do. Here, I felt I could stop for a while. I didn’t have to solve anything.
The connection with Shiva, the space, the people who had come there for their own reasons, it all made me want to slow down and just be present.
I would go back for that feeling. To sit quietly, perhaps meditate, and give myself more than a quick visit before rushing to the next thing.
Rotorua, New Zealand
New Zealand was different from the moment I arrived. There was the landscape, of course, but also the pace, the people and the Māori culture. I wanted to see more of it all.
One memory keeps coming back to me. I was standing in the water in Rotorua, with hills around me. I opened my arms for a photo. I can still remember how happy I felt in that moment.
Almost complete. That is probably the closest I can get to describing it.
I don’t think one trip can ever show you all of New Zealand. I would go back to explore a different part of the country, learn more, and maybe find another quiet moment like that one.
So, when are we going?
Rameswaram left me curious. Isha gave me room to be quiet. Rotorua reminded me how good it feels to be fully there, even for a few minutes.
None of them feels finished to me. Maybe that is what makes me want to return.
If somebody offered me a flight tomorrow, I would probably ask one question.
What time do we leave?
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