I am packing for my first trip to Goa this year. It is home for me, so multiple trips do happen during some lucky years! And the ambition to travel is setting the pulses racing again.

Part of the whip is the impending super-excitement of mum’s trek to Kailash Mansarover that begins on the 2nd of August. It’s a super tough trek- some 25 days, really high passes in the Himalayas, into Tibet and around the Lake Kailash. Mum has wanted to do this ever since I remember and she is finally making her dreams come true! Way to go, mum. You are very inspiring.

Yes, so I have come to the realization that having a list of places to visit and vaguely carrying it around in my head isn’t going to take me very far. It would probably be good to break down stuff that I can do each year, depending on the vacation time available, budgets and other variables.

2011 was a great year for travel. I visited Odisha (Puri, Chilika, Bhubaneshwar), Lucknow, Kanpur, Barcelona, Goa (twice, a lucky year when you get to see Ajjee multiple times), Mysore and Bharatpur. 2012 has been good this far- Lucknow, Bangalore, Coorg and Istanbul. But there is scope to push the envelope, seeing as 5-6 day breaks in October and November are staring at me from the school calendar!

My wish-list?

1- Hampi- Have never ever been and am dying to go! A friend posted some tantalizing pics of newly discovered archaelogical ruins there on Facebook today, and my curiosity is super whipped again.

2- Andamans or Bali- With Goa in my blood, can I not be a beach bum and water lover? However, believe it or not, I’ve never done any snorkelling or diving, ever. It’s high time I tried and this one has been on my list for years. PADI certification here I (want to) come!

3- Ajanta and Ellora- This one has to be with mum. We lived in Bombay for years and never went. Karli and Elephanta were the teasers. We need to fulfill that trail.

4- Gujarat circuit- There are many places I want to see in this beautiful state and Amdavad is where I always end up going. Champaner is high on the list, followed by the Rann of Kutch. I hear Navratris are a great time to go.

5- Kota-Bundi-Hadaut region- Now this is home ground. Rahul belongs to this dear little village a couple of hours out of Kota- Jalwara. It is idyllic. Home, its own little decrepit stepwell, own little mini fort, all crumbling now, lots of open space, a couple of seasonal rivers, greenery not at all the Rajasthan tourists imagine, but a little piece of rural beauty. Strangely enough, we end up visiting for weddings and other rituals, but never really sight-see. So, with Kota as base, an exploration of the Hadaut region is long overdue. Hoping to convince the family to find a slot this year!