Europe Diaries — Give back

While I was preparing myself to go to the USA for my master’s, I was overworked with lots of procedures. So exhausted that I wanted to take a break, even for the weekend. Those who know me know that I don’t think going to pubs/clubs or drinking gives me much enjoyment, but going to a different city, exploring the different food styles, and meeting new people gives me ecstasy.

So, one night on a Thursday I decided to go to Varanasi. Why Varanasi? Because it was near to my home (427 km, 10 hours drive) and I wanted to go to this place before going to the USA. It was around 3 am when I made that plan. I messaged my undergrad friend Aman, who was also living in Ranchi at that time to come with me and he agreed to go. And then I took my beloved car, which I’ve used to travel to a lot of places and it never let me down. That evening, we started commuting to Varanasi.

We reached the early morning. So, we didn’t have to stand in long queues of temples and get stuck in traffic jams. We did visit all the temples we wanted. But this story is not about that. It’s about an Italian couple I met in my hostel. Viola and Andrea.

How much time do you think people should take to trust someone? And I am not talking about just trusting but like they would want to host you if you ever visit their city (which is like 1% chance)?

So, my friend and I were sitting in the common area of our hostel in the evening. Since we did all the things on my checklist in the morning, we were just hanging out. After a while, the manager comes with an Italian couple and they were discussing an early morning boat tour of all the ghats of Varanasi. That was not on my checklist, but I liked the itinerary. So, I asked them if we could also join. They were glad because they were charged a lot for two people.

Fast forward, we are on the boat early morning. One of the best things I like, when I meet someone new, is the things we talk about are very different from a normal day-to-day conversation. We talked about the politics of India, casteism, and The holy Ganges river. I took out my GoPro to capture some of the amazing shots, to in response Viola took out her own GoPro (FOMO maybe). We clicked some amazing pictures and had some wonderful chats and it was a pleasant moment .

Next, we get off the boat and decided to go for breakfast. Since they were not from India, they wanted to try some authentic Indian food. Being a foodie, I’ve met lots of people who have told me about the different cuisines of their city, or country. Be it Goa, Rajasthan, or Vietnam. And I wanted to give back the same aura to them. We went to some street stalls and had Litti Chokha, Gulab jamun, Stuffed Puri, and chai which they liked a lot.

After all the things, it was the departure time. We were hugging each other goodbyes thinking if would meet again in this life. And this all happened in the span of 2.5–3 hours. Viola told me that if you ever come to Italy or Switzerland, she would love to host me. And Andrea said that if you ever need any help in planning the trip or anything, he is there. And after this, we said goodbyes, and then Aman and me left for home.

So, now as the day for my master’s got near and I was completing all the procedures, I thought of having a big holiday before going to the USA. I chose Vienna, Italy, and Switzerland as my destination. I told Viola and Andrea about it and they were happy to help me. For Indians, who travel to Europe, it is expensive and difficult to figure out the trains and monuments tickets and day-to-day commute as well. So, generally, we often book tour packages. But in the tour packages, you see a lot of monuments and places but you don’t really understand the culture and meet the people. You will always be in a bus or hotel and stop at places for 1–2 houses. I didn’t want that. I wanted to spend time, understand the culture, meet lots of people, and live how a normal person lives there. So, instead of booking a tour, I booked individual trains and hostels and I knew I would meet people there. And I told them about that. Andrea helped me a lot with itineraries. He sent me all the official websites for booking tickets for the monuments which were a lot cheaper than the tours. Viola helped me with the official ferries of Amalfi which saved me 100s of euros and she offered me to live at her house in Geneva. I traveled to Italy smoothly just because of them. And then I went to Geneva, which is where Viola resides.

She came to the train station to pick me up. We went back to her home and she made Spaghetti Al Carbonara as she wanted me to try authentic Italian food. We didn’t plan any touristy things. I just wanted to live there as a normal citizen and somehow she knew it. We went to the lake that evening, swam for some time, and chilled. I interacted with some locals while she was reading her interesting book. When we were going back, she wanted to eat some Indian food. We went to an Indian restaurant and ordered Chicken Biriyani which didn’t have an Indian taste but she liked it a lot. After that, we went for a walk and reached Corouge. it was a different city not far from where she lived. She planned a hike for the next day in the swiss alps.

The next day when I woke up, Viola told me that the weather has gone bad and we couldn’t go hiking anymore. She was sad because she couldn’t take me on this hike but then we made some impromptu normals plans. We went to a pharmacy in the morning to buy some stuff. While returning, we passed a movie theater and there were some movies. I was curious about the theaters in Switzerland and wanted to watch a movie. So, we planned a movie in the afternoon. When we were reaching home, Viola saw a poster of a famous Opera composer, Donizetti and she was delighted as the composer was from her city. I also wanted to have an Opera experience so I agreed to go at night. We watched a movie and then I wanted to buy a souvenir from Switzerland so we were just wandering around in the market. Then I saw this watch shop “Swatch” and I liked one of their watches which was obviously expensive. Generally, I am very disciplined about my money, but some days when I am in a good mood I love spending. So, I bought the watch. Viola bought some postcards and posters and sent a postcard to Andrea. We went home, changed and went to the Opera. We liked it a lot. It was a new experience for me. I liked how dedicated the orchestra was. There was a lady who was so indulged in playing her cello that her facial expression was changing with each tone.

We were walking back from the Opera and I asked Viola, “We met in India only for like 2–3 hours but it feels like I am meeting my elder sister in a different country. I was not expecting that you would company me in all this. Maybe just an accommodation.” She said, “five-six years ago, I went to Thailand for four months. I was living on a farm with the family and worked for them as a volunteer. They treated me so well. With food, shelter, and love. I thought I should give back to people. I should also help people like me who are traveling, trying to mix with people, who want to understand the culture. Who are here to broaden their mindset.”

And in that moment, I thought of all the people who have helped me a lot in my life. People who always accommodate me when I am in the city. I borrow money from some whenever I want. Lots of people you meet do a lot for you. And sometimes we cannot return the favor to them. But it is not written somewhere that you should only give back to people who have helped you but give back to people who you don’t know, who you just randomly meet, who you don’t even meet. Because it will come back to you in ways you’ve never imagined.

I love that I met people like Andrea and Viola and I wish someone says the same for me someday (though I don’t care). I’ve met a lot of amazing, kind, good people in my life. And I would love to dedicate an article to everyone. Until I get some time to write again.

I have not proof read this and i am not a writer so you may find lots of errors.