Wanderlust Adventures of The Girl Who Could

By Suma Mathai

"Yes, I have now stepped on all six habitable continents, and this trip tagged number six."

She looked at me perplexed, "You don't look old enough to have accomplished that."

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Degree Press
• Release date: Jan 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889266464

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Wanderlust Adventures of the Girl Who Could

Wanderlust Adventures of the Girl Who Could

Let The World Conquer Your Heart

Suma Mathai

New Degree Press

Copyright © 2023 Suma Mathai

All rights reserved.

Wanderlust Adventures of the Girl Who Could

Let The World Conquer Your Heart

ISBN

979-8-88926-645-7 Paperback

979-8-88926-646-4 Ebook

Dedication

To Mom and Dad, my late Appacha and late Amachi, and my siblings

Contents

Prologue

Part 1. Taste of Wanderlust

Chapter 1. Childhood Dreams

Chapter 2. Memphis Blues

First Thanksgiving

First Christmas

Tunica Resorts Casino—Mississippi

Chapter 3a. Taste of Wanderlust—Dream to Reality

Memorial Day Weekend

Independence Day Weekend

Chapter 3b. Taste of Wanderlust to Adulting

Camping Venture

Dreams Evolving

Chapter 4a. The Road Less Traveled

Home Away from Home

More Wanderlust with Mom

Chapter 4b.Journey to Self-Discovery

First Siblings Adventure

Canyon, Mountains to Spiritual Growth

Part 2. Establishing My Wanderlust Lifestyle

Chapter 5. New Horizons

First Solo Venture—New England to England!

Maiden Road Trip to Canada

Chapter 6. Who Says Thirty Has To Be a Downer!

Turning Thirty! It Is Not Downhill...

Labor Day Weekend: London and Edinburgh

Jim Russell Racing School, Mont Tremblant

Las Vegas

UK—London to Bahamas

Chapter 7. Spreading Wanderlust to the Family

Parents First Visit to America

Switzerland—SASA’s last siblings’ trip

Chapter 8. More Solo Ventures—Of Writers, Pubs, and Castles

Ireland—Writers, Pubs, and Mountain Rain

Discovering Guinness

Wicklow Mountains, Guinness, and Celtic History

Copenhagen—City of Cycles and Castles

Part 3. Wanderlust Race—Northern Hemisphere

Chapter 9. Arctic Circle Tour—Kick-off

Sweden

Denmark

Voyage to Norway

Chapter 10. Crossing the Arctic Circle

Four Days’ Voyage to the Fjords

Telemark to Bergen

Behold the Fjords!

A Day in the Viking Capital

Four Days above the Arctic Circle

Road to Nord Kapp

Lapland Drive

Chapter 11. From Arctic Circle to Wanderlust Race

Finland

Estonia

A Wanderlust Race

Part 4. Wanderlust Race—Southern Hemisphere

Chapter 12. Peruvian Andes Adventure

Maiden Crossing of the Equator

Andean Sojourn

Machu Picchu

Cusco

Andean Drive to Lake Titicaca

Vicunya, Colca Canyon, and Condors

Arequipa in the Atacama to Lima

Chapter 13. New Year’s Eve—Sydney

Wanderlust Race to Continent Number Five

New Year’s Eve!

Chapter 14. South Africa—Cape Town and Johannesburg

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape of Good Hope to African Penguins

Johannesburg

Chapter 15. South African Safari

Chapter 16. Mosi oa Tunya aka Victoria Falls

Part 5. Living Life to the Fullest!

Chapter 17. Hello, Forty! Joie de Vie!

French Sampler!

Glimpse of Paris and Versailles

Burgundy to Provence

French Riviera

Salut Quarante

Milan

Jet-setting Parisian Christmas Holiday

Chapter 18. A Greek Odyssey—Twenty-One Again?

Unexpected Detour—Dubai

Alpha Voyage as a US Citizen

Chapter 19. Milestone Twenty-Five Pre-Pandemic!

Mothers-Daughters’ Getaway

Havana Club—Twenty-Fifth International Sojourn

Hotel Nacional de Cuba

Epilogue. Grab Your Oar!

Acknowledgments

Prologue

I am sitting in my home office watching the serene beauty of snow falling on my deck. It is Valentine’s Day in New England. Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd is playing in the background, setting the contemplative mood. What an unprecedented two years it has been!

The world is reeling from the aftermath of the pandemic, and the toll it has taken is inexplicable. How we choose to come out of the darkest moments in life makes or breaks us. I stayed afloat emotionally in the two years of near total isolation through spiritual reflections and maintaining social connections virtually. I am glad to have chosen New England for my home these past two decades as that gave me opportunities to grow into a strong and independent woman.

I surmise: Life is the sum total of the choices we make. The choice of leaving the proverbial nest in India at twenty-four to explore a nontraditional life as a young woman led me to the most beautiful, scenic, and cosmopolitan region in the US, New England. I am so grateful and blessed that my parents fully supported me in that bold choice. The challenges of establishing a home in a strange land shaped and molded me into a strong-willed, independent woman, spiritually rooted in Christ. It sowed the seeds for a potential book to write someday.

That someday soon accelerated when quite unexpectedly in February, 2022, the opportunity of writing my first book came knocking through the book-writing cohort led by Professor Eric Koester. I had attended his webinar on how to write and publish a book in a year and was intrigued. My adventurous spirit decided to jump on board for this unique ride of my life.

So while Valentine’s Day typically holds no importance to me, in 2022 it took on a different meaning—the day I set out to write my maiden book. With the many possibilities of topics to write from my life experiences, the one that stood out was my wanderlust lifestyle. In my twenty-one years of adulthood, I traversed twenty-five countries spanning six continents. The one thing I missed the most while being cooped up in my home in the pandemic was this lifestyle.

So come along, weary souls, and escape into the world I saw through these wonderful journeys!

Part 1

Taste of Wanderlust

Chapter 1

Childhood Dreams

What child doesn’t dream. It is an essential part of growing up. My first dream as an eleven-year-old was the desire to see the whole world with my own eyes. It began at the tail end of summer holidays, which is typically April and May in Bangalore, India. It was time for back-to-school preparation. My dad had just bought my textbooks for Frank Anthony Public School’s class six curriculum. I was drawn to the atlas, eager to explore the countries in the world.

These were simpler times; I spent a lot of time reading or playing with my siblings. With just one national channel, entertainment on television was limited. Hence, before the school year began, I explored the maps in the atlas and memorized most of the capital cities, including countries that no longer exist today such as:

Yugoslavia’s capital—Belgrade

Czechoslovakia’s capital—Prague.

The school year started in the first week of June. The geography curriculum for the next two years explored all the continents and countries in the world. I was a captive audience as Mrs. Hart introduced us to South America. The mention of Lake Titicaca in the Andes Mountain range made me chuckle. It doesn’t take much for an eleven-year-old to find silly humor. Nonetheless, the grandiose view of the highest navigable lake in the mountain range of the Andes piqued my curiosity. I thought, Ah! If only I had wings, I could fly over the Andes to see Lake Titicaca!

Fast forward ten years, I now graduated in computer science from Mount Carmel College for women, leaving behind geography. Childhood dreams change, evolve, and a new dream took shape. Now it was pursuit of higher studies in the elite business school in India—Indian Institute of Management. The entrance exams scheduled every December were highly competitive and tough to pass. So, I decided to enroll in a tutoring service to prepare for the exam after graduating from college.

One afternoon I took a break from exam preparation and visited Amachi’s house for tea. In my native tongue Malayalam, Amachi is how we address our grandmother. This was a cherished childhood ritual. As the first grandchild of my maternal grandparents, I had a special bond with them. They had raised me briefly when a toddler as my parents’ hands were full, with my twin sisters arriving less than two years after me. I was their favorite Mol-le—a daughter or term of endearment for a girl child in Malayalam.

As we enjoyed tea and biscuits, she asked, Mol-le, now that you have graduated, what are your future plans?

I said, Amachi, I plan to pursue an MBA, a post graduate degree.

She looked at me tenderly with a hint of concern. Uh-oh! I was going to be subject to grownup advice. She went on, Is that wise to add to your parents’ financial responsibilities? Your three younger siblings are yet to graduate.

Pampered by my grandparents, I was a headstrong child and butted heads with Mom. So sometimes I think my mom would enlist my grandma to speak sense to me.

I nodded with the wheels turning in my head. I did not want to overburden my parents. A decision had to be made!

The next couple of months were a delicate dance between job search and exam preparations. Finally, just after my twenty-first birthday, I landed a job as a computer programmer in a software company. I suppose this was my Butterfly Effect.

Soon enough, work overran MBA exam preparations. A year later, in October, at the young age of twenty-two, I was presented with my first international travel opportunity. It was a project scoping assignment to FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee, for two months. I was reluctant at first, as the trip was from the end of October to early January. This would hinder a second attempt at the MBA entrance exam that was still in the back of my mind. My dad advised that I shouldn’t pass up such an opportunity because I could always take the exam next year. I conceded.

In short order, my company made travel and visa arrangements for my first ever flight halfway around the world along with a few colleagues. The itinerary was nearly twenty-four hours long with three connections—Bombay, India; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Detroit, USA—before arriving in Memphis. This was the first international trip for a girl from my family. So, the entire extended family came to see me off at the Bangalore HAL airport, a mere fifteen minutes’ drive from home. It was a tearful, joyous moment for my mom to see her daughter take this huge leap into the wide world.

I was aboard my first flight on Jet Airways, still a bit conflicted about taking the trip. Nonetheless, as the engine whirred, the booming sound thrilled my senses. Living in the flight path, I grew up with the sonic booms of fighter jets flying past low and the roar of commercial jets approaching landing or take off. Those sonic booms fascinated me, and now I was excited with anticipation to soar in the air in this metal bird.

I got a window seat, my favorite spot regardless of the mode of transportation. As we took off, I excitedly searched for my home from the air. I did see the general area and gave a token wave. Until this moment, I had only seen an airplane from my bedroom window. Now I was in one, looking at the landscape below with a childlike gleam. A fellow traveler, amused by this, struck up a conversation. He was surprised that I was neither unnerved nor airsick on my maiden voyage halfway round the world.

With pounding eardrums, we landed in Bombay at 8 p.m., our last stop in India, and headed over to the international airport for a long layover into the wee hours. Our company sales executive, who was traveling along, bought us dinner at the five-star Taj Restaurant in the airport. At ten times the price, it was the most expensive South Indian Masala Dosa I had eaten. My mom would have fainted at the price tag!

In the wee hours of October 31, I was officially out of the Indian borders. I was out cold for the rest of the KLM flight, missing breakfast as it made a beeline to Amsterdam Schiphol airport. I suppose my petite frame was conducive for sleep. En route to my flight connection to Detroit, my first port of entry into the US, a casino in the Schiphol airport caught my attention. I thought Huh! That is unusual. I wonder what other surprises might be in store.

Eight hours later, the first order of business, immigration check. The immigration official was surprised at my command of the English language and was further astounded to discover a working professional instead of a student. My Indian passport was stamped for entry along with the I-94 card allowing me to stay for an additional four months in the US. I was intrigued by this extended length for stay allowed.

Destiny, it would seem, had other plans as I looked out the window on the final flight to Memphis. Autumn was in the air with the landscape in vibrant colors of red, gold, yellow, and orange against a gray cloudy sky. I had never seen fall colors before. I was mesmerized at the sights and scenes I had just experienced crossing the seas, mountains, and ocean to arrive at this beautiful sight in North America. A Halloween Saturday quite unexpectedly marked a milestone, stepping onto a new continent. It stirred the dormant dream from my childhood of traveling around the world.

Chapter 2

Memphis Blues

A legend was going to rise, even though the high-flying thrill of seeing a new place let down like a lead balloon. Memphis was dull, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of my home, the cosmopolitan westernized city of Bangalore known for its pub scene and as the Silicon Valley of India. As I was the youngest member from my company, and a girl at that, exploring on my own was out of bounds. Public transportation was off limits with Memphis rated number five in crime. As I didn’t know how to drive, I was at the mercy of my colleagues to take me around. It was a ball buster for an independent spirit.

Apart from the numerous social get-togethers, movies, and shopping at outlets, there was not much else to explore culturally in Memphis for fresh off the boat Indians. Travel and road trips were the only source of excitement, especially on long weekends.

First Thanksgiving

In less than four weeks of my arrival, the Thanksgiving long weekend loomed. As a newbie, I was glad when my colleague Premjith offered a fourteen-hour road trip with him and eight others to Orlando. My roommates, the only other women from my company, had other plans. Rather than be bored home alone, I chose being the only woman and, at twenty-two, the youngest one on the trip.

We set out on Wednesday before Thanksgiving in two vehicles. It was a long drive with a pit stop for dinner at Waffle House. Shortly after the pit stop in the middle of the night, we felt a touch of panic, as we missed the exit to Orlando. Aided with AAA TripTik map and the well-named roads and highways, we were back on track. It was amazing to see how quickly we found our way back.

As we continued, I stretched out to sleep in the back until morning, when suddenly I was woken by a commotion. We were lost again. Apparently for two to three hours, we were going in circles past the motel. It was eight thirty in the morning when we finally reached our destination. Navigation skills in our van seemed not up to par, or it was exhaustion from the long drive.

Over the next couple of days, we had a jam-packed itinerary, making the most of our trip. With passes from AAA travel service, we headed to SeaWorld around two o’clock. Here I touched for the first time the friendly dog of the seas, a dolphin. The highlight was the must-see attraction Shamu, the killer whale show. We were on the edge of our seats watching the trainers engage Shamu in delightful aquatic acrobats.

The next morning, we headed to Universal Studios. Our game plan was to head out by 7 a.m. to ensure we were not stuck in a long queue. With AAA’s theme park tickets, we jumped queues and were able to enjoy most of the popular attractions. We saw movie-set replicas from major blockbusters. At the Jaws set, the sudden appearance of the mechanical great white shark from the water made us jump.

On our final day was the much-awaited meeting with Mickey at Disney World. As this was a giant theme park, we visited just two—Epcot Center and Magic Kingdom, home of Mickey Mouse. The place was teeming with people on holiday. Epcot Center was a passport to experience the cultures of eleven nations with stall attendants in their traditional attire. At the Norway’s Viking boat ride, Premjith while doing headcount of our group asked, Where is Kulkarni? He had gotten lost in the crowd and was left behind. It was too late to get off, so we continued the ride, hoping for the best. These were the days before the ubiquity of mobile phones. Heading out from the ride, we were relieved to find him waiting outside. We wrapped up at Epcot with samplings of popular national drinks, my favorite being German beer mixed with nonalcoholic fruit juice.

It was time to meet Mickey! We headed to the Magic Kingdom via a ferry and monorail. After some fun time in bumper cars and a few other rides, we headed for a quintessential picture with Mickey Mouse. The finale was the spectacular fireworks display at night. This being my first visit to a theme park, I enjoyed it for its novelty but never craved to visit again.

In a matter of a few weeks, I discovered the ease of traveling in the US. All one needed was a car, AAA travel service, and maps. Everything was well-organized and easily accessible. It was also far safer here on the highways than in India. Therefore, it seemed private road trips were the norm among the population.

First Christmas

A month had whizzed by, and the Christmas long weekend was at hand. I decided to visit my closest relative