Backpacking Bride

Of late, everybody around me seems to be getting married, or engaged, or in the process of getting into either of the two relationship statuses. Let me add a disclaimer before I begin: Getting married is a great thing. BUT. But, but, only if you are mentally prepared for it and not because you are a bottle of medicine that comes with an expiry date and is no good after a certain age. So I'm going to state my reasons publicly on my blog for all my relatives/friends/well-wishers who constantly try to sell the idea of marriage to me like executives who have to meet sales targets. You see, people marry for different reasons- happiness, financial security, not dying alone etc etc. The last one is something I anyway encounter every now and then on some remote trek. Finances are taken care of by my travel writing (still can't shop at Mango but can pay my rent). Happiness. That's something travel itself takes care of. But who, ask my uncles and aunts, would want to 'live like this' for the rest of her life? Who, I ask, would want a Backpacking Bahu? And then everybody ponders over the grave situation. Perhaps I could take up a job in a city? That way I could 'travel' to work everday? Or pehaps I could marry someone who gets transferred a lot? So I could be wrapped up by Movers and Packers with the rest of the luggage and know what it feels like to be a Samsonite? Or perhaps I could give up travel all together, because eventually I would crave to be in one place? Well, it's been over five years, and not a day has come when I have thought that I could give up travel for anything, anyone. So while I'm threatened by Matchmakers who pity the fate of this poor misled girl, I meet Radka, a 62-year old female pilot who is the leader of the top aerobatics team in the world. And everything's all right when I see her calmly sip her coffee and the brilliance of her eyes that explore the world, dream and shine with the happiness of one who has followed her heart. Immediately after that, I also meet a moron who actually has the nerve to call me a weirdo, albeit in more polite words. I don't know what the future holds for me, but when I crave for that anchorage that subtly asks me to hang up my hiking boots, I will let you know. Watch this space for that post. Get a coffee, coz it might take forever.