The wind in my face

I recently went on a recreational trip with my parents after a long time.The last time I went holidaying with them,  was way back in college when I was still living with them.
As we landed in Goa, my dad handed me this itinerary he had printed out(rather had had his secretary print it out for him).He told me since our train was late , we were running a little behind on the list, but that we should be able to catch up next day if we left by seven in the morning.As I exchanged looks of astonishment with my equally amused husband, I told myself this was not going to be the holiday I had wanted it to be.The picture I had in mind was all of us sitting by the beach ,sipping our drinks , enjoying the sun and sand engaged in the usual family banter.
Alas that did not seem to be on the list ! I was disappointed to say the least but as I tried to snap out of it,I could hear the driver answering my father's inquisitive questions.He drew our attention to these brightly coloured Portugese houses which lined up the winding roads.I listened with rapt attention as he unfolded the history of Goan architecture and the unique property laws of Goa.
Ideally I go on a holiday,equipped with all the local trivia via the internet.I have even carried print outs on some occasions.I am not the kind of person who talks to people on trains , flights or makes friends with complete strangers.Talking to the driver is also on that list.But by day two of our Goa trip, I had become very fond of the driver.I had learnt more things about Goa than any website can ever put up.We went to all the popular tourist destinations where I was overwhelmed by the hordes of people who had descended from Gujrat,Maharashtra,Bengal and the likes.I was taking it all in ,on the side, along with the Goan culture.As I bargained for curios at the local Bazaar, I discovered that there was so much more to Goa than the beaches and the firangs.We picked up yummy pastries at small shops around the corner and ate Kwality Ice cream by the beach.I also did the unthinkable and visited some of the local temples. I came back feeling spiritually uplifted.
In fact this was proving out to be quite the opposite of the exclusive getaway I had in mind.Despite that I was having a lot of fun though and by the time we left Goa , I felt like I was leaving a place I had grown quite fond of.
As I sat reminiscing about the good times in my AC compartment on our way back home,it dawned upon me that in our need for exclusivity we tend to limit our experiences.Also there is a growing need in us to live the good life,to announce to the world that we have arrived.This is probably the sign of changing times ( A good sign that too ) , but as I sit in the comforts of my AC compartment, I cannot help but miss the wind in my face.