12 October 2010, Paris.
If you want something with all your heart, there’s nothing in this world that can stop you from getting it, they always said. And there’s nothing that I have wanted more than Europe.
If you want something with all your heart, there’s nothing in this world that can stop you from getting it, they always said. And there’s nothing that I have wanted more than Europe.
The Europe of Hansel and Gretel; Snow White and Little Women; of Cinema Paradiso, DDLJ and a dozen other Yash Raj films. The Europe from a hundred different books and movies; songs and stories. I’ve breathed its clean mountain air, walked along its cobbled streets, heard its folk tales and felt its charms long before I came here. And each time I woke up from a Europe dream, I brushed it aside as just that. Yet another unachievable dream. But then dreams work. And just like that Europe did.
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Autumn in Paris, at Jardin du Luxembourg |
It took a lot of saving, a lot of convincing—first myself and then others -- and a lot of planning. But once that first step was taken, everything else fell into place. Like pieces of a puzzle that were just waiting to fit in. The first step… often, that’s the only distance between us and our dreams.
50 days, 5 countries sounded too grand a plan initially. But a little faith, a lot of goodwill and endless paperwork later, it didn’t seem like a distant reality anymore. On September 15,2010 we set out from home, to discover Europe, and in turn discover ourselves. At the lounge in the Dubai airport where we waited for a connecting flight to Zurich “Happy Feet” was born. Armed with new walking shoes, all set to live an adventure that we were too scared to even dream of just weeks ago.
It’s been 25 magical days, and we’ve reached the first half of the trip. But the magic still goes on. And on and on and on.
--C
awesomness
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