Queen, Yeh Jawaani hai Dewaani and you.
To all my desi friends,
I know that the spark to live your life the way you want to, exists in you. When I see people cheer for Kangana in Queen or love Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani for the free-spirited Ranbir, I see that side of you. But then I realise that despite loving the premise of such a story, most of you seem to assume these situations or lives only exist in fantasies or fairy-tales or it's just movies and made purely for the sake of entertainment.
Truth be told, should you pursue life in a similar vein, these movies, books aren't even the tip of the iceberg your life can be. The representation of my nomad-life on facebook/instagram is like 1% of what it really is. Nobody will ever see the best moments, moments that have changed me drastically, situations that have broken me and built me stronger, the happiest of my times, the growth, the knowledge, the consciousness, the transformation of the mind, the constantly evolving and incremental timeline of foreplay and orgasms, figuratively and literally, that life offers. I only share the superficial stuff on social networks. For each one of you that loved those movies and likes the updates your friends who are travelling put out there, living vicariously is ok, we all do that in some form or the other, but you too can definitely be out there doing things that you love.
95% of the backpackers/nomads/travellers I've met have been white. Apart from westerner-privilege, better passports, social security, more accepting societies, a safe and rich country to fall back on and return to, there's not much difference between you and them. I wish I could see a more colourful crowd of travellers. I wish I could learn more from those 5 billion people that the media, the western-world, your Facebook "safety-notifications" conveniently ignore. Perspective is everything and global minds will transform the world for the better.
Over a 150 countries have a better passport than mine, I don't come from a rich or privileged background, I went to public school, there's no ancestral property or money, no apartments to rent for passive-incomes but I can still manage to travel 9 months a year. I know it can be difficult going against the tide, rising against inequality, intolerant society, dealing with a weak passport, fighting privilege, but it is necessary. Changing your priorities is all that is needed. Get your paperwork ready, apply for those visas, give those interviews, save for what you love. Saving for marriage and retirement is the most ridiculous thing ever. Marriage shouldn't be about money and you shouldn't sacrifice your entire life to buy the best wheelchair money can buy when you're old, waiting for the inevitable.
There is only today.
Your life is now.
Love and strength,
Chi
Follow chi on instagram @chivoyage & @chivoyageart on facebook.
