Journey vs Destination

So what did I do this Dushera. Well, since there was nothing planned, and Pune is one place close to Mumbai, and since I had still not been around Pune, it was Pune for this Dushera. So me, and two other engineering college buddies living here went along to Pune. The expressway between Mumbai & Pune is a welcome change from the potholed excuse that the Mumbai roads have become. One of my friends has a brand new Indica. He also has music system with a 12' lcd tv installed in the car. So while he was busy driving and checking the car’s mileage on the highway, we simply sat back and enjoyed the ride, a movie and most of all the music.

Pune itself was pretty uneventful. We went around some of the happening places there, met a lot of other friends, tried go-karting but found that they had closed down. Nothing to talk about here.

The return journey was where we got a bit adventurous. While going we took care that we followed all rules & slowed down at turns. But while returning it was a bit rougher. It was 80 kmph all the way. So on some of the tight turns, we were pushed to sides because of the centrifugal force. The music played in high volume pumped up our spirits. The two drives were much more enjoyable than the actual Pune visit.

It’s always like that with me. I like the journey more than the destination. When I reach some place, I want to travel more. I enjoy the changing sights during the travel more than the bliss of having reached somewhere. The passion of being on the move is always more than the satisfaction of having reached the target. As a kid when we used to visit relatives in summer holidays, the most exciting part of the holiday invariably used to be the train journey.

I always used to wonder why some people esp. girls take so long to shop. I guess this could be the answer (at least in part). The excitement of buying something new, of trying out different things, of the anticipation that soon she’ll be owning a new dress is more pleasurable than actually wearing or using the item.

As I ponder over it, I can’t help but think, is it the same with me in life? Whenever I achieve something big, I don’t enjoy it much. What really brings me happiness is the path, the journey, just going through the motions of achieving the target. This thought has helped me get some peace in my life. I now know that achieving something is not going to give me much. It is more about those small things that I am going to do along in my life that will bring happiness. Now the pressure of successfully achieving the goal is gone. It is replaced by the need to enjoy in whatever I do, to work for my own satisfaction and to let the goal be achieved on its own merit.