The great escape...

...to remind myself that life is bigger than the narrow scope of my everyday routine.

- Malika Halder

Come December, my family (including my now six-year-old twins) and I will complete our 21st trip. Timeline, you ask? In the last four years—that's an average of slightly over five trips a year. My partner and I realised our love for travel even before we got married—trust me, we planned way more for our first trip together as a married couple than the wedding itself. As we were contemplating moving out of Kolkata (in search of better career opportunities, a fatter paycheque, and a truly adult life), one of the reasons we chose Delhi was the Himalayas. And as life happened to both of us, we got sucked into the seductive allure of travel escapism.

Now, don't get me wrong—life isn't bad. We both have jobs that we (more or less) love, and when it is going well, it feels like a great web series—drama, comedy, and occasional plot twists. But let's admit it, even the best shows need a break. Enter: Travel. Yes, we all go on holidays to temporarily run away from our problems and catch a break. But for me, travel always offered something more: A change in perspective.