It's the Journey MAYBE...

It was my birthday last Friday and I had full plans of going to Mumbai the next day so that I could celebrate it (though belated) with my parents as well. OK let me be honest, the impetus behind going to Mumbai on Saturday was also to satiate my curiosity about the birthday gift my parents have stashed away for me ;)

But alas! I couldn't make it to Mumbai during the weekend due to office work and found myself missing Mumbai! It wasn't just the stay that I missed. What I missed was also the journey from Pune to Mumbai. I realized that half the charisma of Mumbai (for me) lies in the scenic scape, rolling green fields (during the monsoons at least) and the general atmosphere in the Volvo while traveling on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

"What's so special about this particular journey and this particular route", is what I ask myself and I have always come up blank. I have no concrete reason for it. I have no definite answer to it.

Is it the scenic beauty? No it couldn't be. I mean no doubt it's pretty and green during the rains but am sure it's something else. Is it the people in the bus? Hmmmm... no not really :) I mean they don't seem any different from the people traveling on a Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani. Is it the company I have during my journey? LOLZ... I don't think so especially when my sister has been giving me company all my life... So what is it exactly?

I ponder... I think... I analyze... And I realize that maybe there isn't anything specific that makes me enjoy the journey. It is more like an amalgamation of emotions like apprehension, awe, appreciation, excitement and contentment that make the journey so interesting and worth it.
Apprehension for traveling to a big city like Mumbai and what new it would be treating me to.
Awe for the marvel that the expressway is. Awe for the technology that has gone into bringing Pune and Mumbai at a distance of a mere 2 hours.
Appreciation for nature's abundance and sense of beauty.
Excitement for feeling independent and traveling alone.
Contentment about going back home :)