Before I write this post, I would like to say this is just my point of view, this is just how I see my life as I know everyone is different, they have their own priorities, responsibilities, circumstances, way of seeing life, etc.
![Travelling in Prague](http://backpackersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_20150701_201327-1024x759.jpg)
I was always interested in seeing the world, seeing different cultures with my own eyes. As a child, I travelled extensively in different parts of India with my parents who themselves love to travel. I was never good at studies & never cared much about it, but I can say I had a great life since childhood till college days as I used to travel & play different sports, especially cricket & Chess. I always wanted to see other countries but didn’t have my own money & in general travelling outside India seemed to be expensive so we decided against it at that time.
![Travelling in India](http://backpackersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DSC01063-1024x768.jpg)
Yes, it’s true flight tickets are expensive, but other things can be managed if you are backpacking. Also, you can get good rates on your flight tickets if you plan bit early & smartly. After getting out of college, I just worked & did nothing for almost four years, then I realized – what am I doing with my life?! I was not born just to work my whole life & then die. I wanted to live my life as I used to before beginning to work. Of course work is important, as it gives me money to pay my bills, fulfill my basic needs, & helps in buying flight tickets. But, we all have just one life & the time is very limited. I don’t want to have a life where I am making millions & don’t have time even for myself. I would rather like to earn less, but have the time to spend with my family, loved ones & to realize my dream of seeing the world.
![Travelling](http://backpackersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/unnamed-1024x768.jpg)
Since I always wanted to see the world, I decided to use my money in realising my dream. I did my first solo trip to Lithuania & Prague last year. I stayed in hostel & Airbnb shared room, used public transport, walked as much as I could just because I wanted to feel the culture, meet the people, integrate with the locals, experience the whole thing from being there amongst them & not just taking pictures of the important sights, staying in luxury hotels where you are completely alone & seeing the place by booking a car where you are, again, cut off from the locals. I would always recommend this – best way to experience any place is by walking or cycling, or even through public transport. But then again, some people are tourists, while others are backpackers/travellers, depends on how you want to travel.
![Making new friends, Prashast](http://backpackersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_20150702_171445-1024x576.jpg)
Travelling gave me a completely different perspective from what media used to tell me about Europe though I never believed it 😀 I am not saying everything what media tells is false, but then everything that they talk about isn’t true either, sometimes overly biased. Being an Asian, I felt absolutely zero racism in Europe, found people friendly, free-minded & polite. Just to give you some examples, I had hosted a Czech guy through Couchsurfing here in New Delhi. He came to pick me up from the airport when I reached Prague & used to come to meet me every evening after finishing his work. I asked for directions to my hostel from a mother & son in Prague, they were going in some other direction, when I asked them they just said to me “come” & started walking with me in opposite direction of where they were going earlier. After walking 15-20 min asking directions from different people, they finally dropped me at my hostel. I had a similar experience in Vilnius, when an elderly couple stopped their cycling to show me the direction to the bus stop & started leading me to it and later dropped me there, even though, I requested them not to as I thought I can do it myself. It was very helpful from them. I met a Lithuanian guy on my flight to Vilnius, he invited me to his birthday party which I attended & met his friends & family. He baked some delicious local cuisine which we all enjoyed. I met a Lithuanian girl in Vilnius, she took me to Trakai & to a village where I met her friend, his family & picked some fresh strawberries from the garden. She also dropped me at the airport. I had an amazing time in the hostel I had stayed in Prague where I met some amazing people of different nationalities. My Airbnb host was more like a friend than a host. She made sure I have no problems while staying at her home & also baked pancakes for me.
![Travelling in Dharamkot, India](http://backpackersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_20151023_103704-1024x759.jpg)
I can go on with this list of all the great people I met during my first solo trip which was of only 11 days, all this you can only experience when you travel. There is a huge list of my travel experiences in different parts of the vast India which I will share in my other posts in Journeys section. This is just the start of my travel journey which is never going to stop while I’m still breathing.
![Backpacking in India](http://backpackersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DSCF4589-1024x768.jpg)
Travelling broadens your horizons, makes you more open minded, makes you more tolerant towards different cultures, different people. It transforms you into a completely different person, for better. People are great all over the world; all you need to do is to open your mind. Travelling is like an addiction, travelling is living!
![Travelling is Living](http://backpackersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_20151023_141057_HDR-1024x759.jpg)