Punjab

"God long ago drew a circle in the sand exactly around the spot where you are standing right now. You were never not coming here. This was never not going to happen." -Hafiz

Travel, no matter where in the world, is powerful- it can open your eyes to new things and broaden your perspective. But I don't think there is anything more powerful than travelling to discover your roots. Instead of wandering to far off places to discover new cultures, customs and people, this is the first time I've had the opportunity to travel to discover a culture and a land that I knew little about, but at the core, is part of my identity. 

My trip to Punjab was filled with adventures. From visiting the village where my father was born, meeting family I didn't even know about, going on long drives around the state, eating far too many kulfis, filling up on parathas, learning about my fathers' religion and culture and finally, being able to come back at the end of each day to Chandigarh and have the comfort of knowing that it was home. 

My trip to India, Punjab in particular, had been long-awaited. It is the most peculiar feeling to find peace in a place that you had always resented the idea of visiting. India no longer holds me as a prisoner of my past, but will now enable me to become an architect of my future.