Growth Through Volunteering in the Western Ghats
My first visit to the exotic subcontinent of India was not in Delhi, nor in Rajasthan, nor anywhere along the well-trodden backpackers trail. It was to Sirsi, in the UNESCO Heritage region of the...
Tagged: Blue Period
When I decided to start writing a travel blog, I had a pretty clear idea why, and for what purpose. So after I wrote my blog article for MWSRP, I began Teja on the Horizon with some stories from travels that were fresh in mind, thoughts and poetry that were current, and wrote about sustainability.
But I quickly realised that, while I had entered a new phase in my life, I hadn’t really got to know the new me. I couldn’t seem to get comfortable writing about my recent travelling.
It was as though I had no context. My feet could not find solid ground. And I did not know to whom I was speaking. Or who as. So the stories seemed untethered, and couldn’t be written from my heart.
So I decided to reach back, back into the time when I began to travel again, after my divorce – my ‘Blue Period’. And I discovered that during those travels – not too noteworthy on the outside – I re-made myself.
In writing out those travel stories, I walked that path again, but this time with the reflections of hindsight.
And when my tales reached all the way back to my time in the Maldives, I found that I am now up to speed – with myself.
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These are the stories of personal growth through travel, during the Teja Blue Period.
Lessons from Volunteering in the Perhentian Islands
As recently as a few years ago, when I went volunteering for the first time in the Perhentian Islands, this was not really a thing for a local Asian. This was the kind of...
Taal Volcano Crater: A Lake Within A Lake
For me, the main draw of Taal Volcano in Luzon, the Philippines, was the islet in its caldera lake. The islet was itself on an island, which is in a bigger lake, which was...
Exploring the Most Unique Things in the Peak District
When I went to accompany my friend to Barnsley, I spent much of my time roaming around Derbyshire and the Peak District while she studied for her exam. Derbyshire proved to be lovely English...
The Subjective Treasures of Chatsworth House
Near the end of my Barnsley-Derbyshire trip, I went to visit the stately home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Chatsworth House. There I finally found the bluebells I was looking for, after...
Mobbed by Deadly Cows Hiking Monsal Dale Trail!
I was left to my own devices while my friend was cramming for her exam to become a grown-up doctor (I think that’s about right). After ticking the box on finding bluebells late in...
Searching for Late Season Bluebells in Derbyshire
The reason I was looking for bluebells on this trip through Derbyshire, was because it has ‘blue’ in the name. I was having a blue-themed year. Except that bluebells were supposed to be out of...
If the Universe Sends a Sign, Ditch the Bucket List!
Like many travellers, I have a bucket list. (Or wish list – whatever you wanna call it). Mine was never physically written down until recently, but I’ve had some kind of mental travel list...
Bushwalking the Cliffside Trails in Katoomba
My friend and I did some bushwalking when we were in the Blue Mountains. (Because you can’t go to the outdoors in Australia and not go bushwalking!) So we looked up the cliffside trails in Katoomba, reviewing the tremendously...
Australia, and The Mountains That Breathe Blue
The first country I chose to fly towards, when my wings dried, was Australia. There was no esoteric reason for this. I was turning away from a natural affinity to the UK. A friend and...
The Blue Period Metamorphosis: It Began in Black
As part of my pretence of being a creative person, I thought it was fitting that I passed through a Blue Period – rather literally blue, as it turned out. Once, a long time...
