"Thanks for the dinner recommendation, it was good to eat local food on our last night here." I said to her as we entered the hostel.
"No worries. Where are you headed next?" she asked.
"Oh, actually, this is the last night of our trip, and we're headed back home tomorrow." I replied.
"Where are you from?" she asked.
"Goa, in India. Have you heard of it?" I returned her question.
"Of course. I was there last year, and I loved it. How lucky for you - you're from Goa!"
"Yes, I guess. Although, we don't live there anymore and only return every year to visit our families." At that point, I wasn't sure if I was replying to her or silently asking a question of myself.
"Are you happy that your trip is over?" she enquired casually.
"Hmmm, that's a good question. I have mixed feelings really. I'm quite exhausted from the constant travel over the past few months, but also happy to be home soon. The best part is that I have no regrets."
"That's wonderful. I guess you can now sit back and think what this trip really meant for you." she smiled.
A casual, offhand remark suddenly made me realize I'd been living a dream for the past few months, and reality was just around the corner.
Once I had made the difficult decision to take time off from work, my time had simply been spent planning the trip, talking about it, shopping for it; every moment during the trip took me further into the dream, devoid of reality and the burden that it shoulders. If I ever lived for myself, this was it.
But just like that, the bubble was going to be burst. And it begged a few questions. Will I miss being on the road? Am I ready for a routine again? Did the time off really help, or are there more questions now? Hmmm, it's a long way back home; not too bad a time to ponder over it.
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