Bolivia

The dusty countryside looked beautiful in the summer. Bearing the heat was worth it, just to see the array of pastels and browns that dotted the landscape. Ariana trudged through the valley, passing adobe-brick huts and taking in the natural wonder she had missed when she moved to the big city. This was what it felt like to come back home. 

With her younger sister beside her (She has grown so fast, thought Ariana), she was on her way to see their grandmother. At the end of the valley, at the base of the next hill, they found an old adobe house, dilapidated but charming, peeking out through sprays of bright yellow flowers. The rain that fell at the top of the mountain ran down in streams to the base, so vegetation flourished here, unlike other places. 

As the sisters walked through the flowers, a large, soft shape teetered out of the house, its wrinkles as numerous as the grasses in the valley. Two laughing black eyes popped out through the wrinkled features, defying the age the rest of her face showed. Smiling a toothless smile, she hobbled forward to greet her granddaughters with a kiss on each cheek.

I have never been to Bolivia and definitely do not know these girls or assume to know their life stories. The descriptions are in no way meant to imply that this is what the culture of Bolivia is like- it is merely what sprung into my imagination based on this picture, which I found here.

If you would like to know what this whole project is about, please click here.

Send me a picture of somewhere YOU have been in the world at 1000wordjourney@gmail.com! My favorite picture will be featured on this blog with a little story to go along with it.

-Shachi

Mauritius

Tickla sailed over the deep blue waters towards the aqua-and-green oasis in the distance. Five weeks out at sea with nothing but salt-water and wretched fish for food could make even the strongest of dragons weary. Although she spent much of her time flying over the oceans, Tickla was indisputably a creature of the land. Sea-creatures did not appeal to her (except in very rare circumstances with certain whales) as beings worthy of interacting with, let alone eating. 
A waft of air emerged from Tickla's nostrils as she began descending. The warm air contrasted with the chill of the upper atmosphere; it smelled of relief. 

I have never been to Mauritius and definitely do not assume that there are dragons there. The descriptions are in no way meant to imply that this is what the culture of Mauritius is like- it is merely what sprung into my imagination based on this picture, which I found here.

If you would like to know what this whole project is about, please click here.

If you would like to support me, please send me a picture of somewhere you have been in the world at 1000wordjourney@gmail.com and/or donate at the bottom of the page. Thank you!!

-Shachi

Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand

The tip-tapping of little princely footsteps rang out from the gold and marble tiles on the floor. Tapestries of ancient monarchs, hung centuries ago, watched disapprovingly, occasionally huffing out a cloud of dust when a breeze swept in. The two boys, naughty as ever, were running away from an afternoon meal. Several moments later, a young woman, dressed in brown robes, came running down the hall. This royal nanny was new and had not yet developed the stamina to keep up with the two little princes. Wheezing, she stopped when she came to the end of the hall. She looked around, not sure which way to go next. Taking pity on her, a tapestry sent a puff of dust at a nearby door. With a slight bow of relieved thanks, the nanny opened the closet door to find the two boys grinning up at her sheepishly. 

I have never been to Bangkok, let alone to the Palace I am imagining. The descriptions are in no way meant to imply that this is what life in the Grand Palace or Thailand was/is like- they are merely what sprung into my imagination based on this picture, which I found here.

If you would like to know what this whole project is about, please click here.

If you would like to support me, please send me a picture of somewhere you have been in the world at 1000wordjourney@gmail.com and/or donate at the bottom of the page. Thank you!!

-Shachi

Riomaggiore, Italy

Dusk was nearing as the fishing boats began to come in. They crowded in next to each other like everything in the city. The colorful buildings that gazed down at the water seemed to be sitting almost on top of each other, their bright oranges and pastel blues overlapping under the setting sun. Tiny fish (for only the smallest ones dared come this close to shore) flipped in and out of the water. A few swam daringly through the ropes of the anchored boats. From far away they looked only like flashing specks of light, dancing on the deep green water. As the sun finally set, a warm, deep sound arose from the bells in the church steeple. It was dark now, and the time had come for a full meal and some rest. Tomorrow morning the sun would rise anew, and another day's work would begin.

I have never been to Riomaggiore, let alone to this fishing village I am imagining. The descriptions are in no way meant to imply that this is what life in Riomaggiore or Italy is like- they are merely what sprung into my imagination based on this picture, which I found here.

If you would like to know what this whole project is about, please click here.

If you would like to support me, please send me a picture of somewhere you have been in the world at 1000wordjourney@gmail.com and/or donate at the bottom of the page. Thank you!!

-Shachi

Istanbul, Turkey

The pretty patterns on the lanterns glimmered in the shop's dim light. Looking like old treasures gathered from across the attics of the city, more than two dozen of them hung perilously from a single, large, iron mobile. This was not a shop for small children to be running around in. And yet, the young boys working in the store looked hardly older than my high-school-aged brother. They were well-behaved, teasing each other lightly, but never getting too out of hand, as the store's owner (probably their father, or an uncle) kept a watchful eye on them. At the end of the day, one of the boys counted the money in the cash-box behind the counter while another swept the floors. Still a third wrapped up all the open goods, cleared them away from the counters and put them all on the shelves behind him. The uncle smiled slightly as he looked around at his hard-working boys. The panes of glass in the lanterns reflected their laborious movements until, at long last, the work was done, and the lights were shut off for the evening. 

I have never been to Istanbul, let alone to this shop that I am describing. The descriptions are in no way meant to imply that this is what life in Istanbul is like- they are merely what sprung into my imagination based on this picture, which I found here.

If you would like to know what this whole project is about, please click here.

If you would like to support me, please send me a picture of somewhere you have been in the world at 1000wordjourney@gmail.com and/or donate at the bottom of the page. Thank you!!

-Shachi

Welcome to my blog!

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

My journey will start in one year, when I graduate college. I will start the journey of life and I still have no sure idea of which direction I should take that first step. So, I have decided to prepare myself by taking a smaller journey first.

At the end of this summer, I will have 3 weeks between the time my internship ends and my senior year begins. I have always felt that one of my biggest difficulties in finding my place in the world is that I do not have any true sense of what the world is like. I want to take those three weeks to find out.

My dream is to travel. The only places in the world I have really been to are the United States and India. I have grown up in the US and have traveled many times to visit family in India. This time I want to go somewhere I have never been before, and experience something truly different.

How is a broke college student going to finance such a trip? That's part of the project, and where this blog comes in. I will be working this summer, so hopefully I'll earn some money that way. But I am also going to try to earn money the old-fashioned way by using my craft. I know that one skill I am pretty good at is writing. I am going to start (in the next post) by taking a picture of some place in the world, and writing about it. I will try to do this every day. If you would like to support me, you can do two things. First, send me a picture of somewhere you have been in the world at 1000wordjourney@gmail.com and I will write about that picture. I'll take all the recommendations I can get. Second, a trip like this requires money, so I would greatly appreciate your donations, even if they are only a few dollars. 

Finally, I hope that this blog will inspire you to share your dreams and stories. When did you last make one of your dreams come true? When did you last begin a journey? Share your stories in the comments. 

Thanks! And whatever is behind you, may you always look forward with a smile. 

-Shachi