Country roads, take me home...

I visit Kerala every year. 

I have to for three main reasons.

1) It's my birthplace. 2) My maternal grandparents live there along with most of my relatives and 3) During the summer holidays in school, we had to go somewhere for our vacations, and Kerala was the easiest choice.

The annual trips to Kerala took a break in 2020 when the Covid pandemic hit the world. With restrictions on travel being issued everywhere, our hopes of going to Kerala were also dashed that year, and the following year, and the year after.

By 2022, when the restrictions on travel were eased, we booked our tickets to Kerala ASAP because we could not wait any longer. 

I have always been excited about going to Kerala.

IDK. There's just something about going back to your roots. 

        

Meeting familiar faces, having jackfruit (Chakka), bananas, coconut (Karikku) and other different kinds of fruits that one gets to see only in Kerala that people grow in their backyard, discussing politics and family feuds, sitting by the riverside and looking at the sun rise, relatives and friends feeding you till you burst your stomach, Dubai ungles giving you Dubai stuff, weddings and baptisms that you get to attend, going to the beaches and see the sun set while you feel the sand go under your feet, listening to the elders telling stories of old times when the world was much simpler, eating porotta and that which shall not be named, getting to see clear blue skies in the morning and stars at night, smelling the salty ocean+coconut tree scent instead of the polluted air of Delhi, stuffing yourself with Kerala bakery items, you name it.

 

There is so much to see, eat and do here that 15 days in a year fall short :)

In fact, every year even after we curate a detailed plan with optimum utilization of the days and fit in all the relatives we have to see and places we want to visit, we still feel like we have not spent enough time here.
And perhaps, that is the reason why I always want to come back here- for the greenery, for the people, for the love I have received here, and for the food, obviously :)

Ending this post with a dialogue that I absolutely love, which captures Kerala in its truest sense-

Pachapum, Harithapavum, Ooshmalatha- elaam Keralathil kittum :) 

(Greenery and warmth, you'll find everything in Kerala!)

Till next time!