Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Feb 10: We normally have new year resolutions like 'quit smoking', 'lose weight', or perhaps, travel to some new place country. Most of the time, resolutions remain in paper. For Sachin Bhandary however, his new year resolution will take him on an exciting journey to 12 countries. And unlike most of us who procrastinate when it comes to resolutions, he has already began his mission.
The 32-year-old who is basically from Mumbai loves Udupi as he spent his childhood here. Now, he is ready to face 12 challenges in 2015.
Believe it or not, Sachin Bhandary quit his job in November 2014 to follow his passion, the dream project of a lifetime which he calls the '12 Project - 12 months, 12 countries, 12 challenges'. Though he admits no amount of preparation is really enough, Sachin is all geared up for this project and calls himself ‘The Odd Traveller.’
Sachin has already started on the project - his first one is focused on India and is called ‘25 Days, 25 Trains.’ He started from Mumbai on Saturday February 7, and will now travel to the southern tip to Kanyakumari and then towards Ledo in Assam. From there on he will try to reach Baramullah, the last station in the north. Okha, which is the western tip of the Indian Railway is his last stop before he takes a train back to his hometown Mumbai.
12 months, 12 countries, 12 challenges
This is just the first project, Sachin has 11 others planned. Some of them include looking for positive stories of Tamil-Sinhala friendships in Sri Lanka, learning rock climbing in Thailand, learning to play Batucada music in Brazil, trying to surf in Chile, walking through mountains in Peru, visiting Colombia to find out the reality of drugs, scuba diving in Costa Rica, learning to cook in Mexico, learning to dance Salsa in Cuba and cycling for 2,000 kms in the USA. His last project is the most exciting to him — becoming a stand-up comedian in New York for 30 days.
Udupi was his first step on ‘25 Days, 25 trains’
Udupi was his first stop on the ‘25 Days, 25 Trains’ project. Sachin decided to stop in Udupi because it is a town which is close to his heart. His uncle Naveen Bhandary is one of the city councilors.
Sachin said, “Udupi is the home of my soul. I might live anywhere or even travel the world. But I think I really belong here. My childhood years spent in Bailoor with friends and family were the best of my life.”
Travel is to learn, not for fun
He wants to promote the idea of odd travels. “There is a lot more to travel than recreation. Many more of us should pursue odd, interesting, and immersive travel projects. It’s a challenge, learning experience, and a life-changer which helps you discover the world and yourself,” said Sachin.
He wants to overcome some of his fears, fulfill his wish of traveling the world, and also inspire other young Indians to travel and learn. He hopes that his venture project will help them learn and develop their personality.
Sachin quit his job nearly eight years ago. His entire journey expenditure comes to about Rs 7 or 8 lac. He has succeeded in getting a couple of sponsor and also hopes to write for publications like National Geography and BBC Travel to sustain his project. In the coming months, he might tie up with an NGO and raise funds for them.
You can follow Sachin on Facebook at The Odd Traveller or twitter : @theoddtraveller . He will also be posting write-ups regularly on:www.theoddtraveller.in, and he can also be reached at theoddtraveller@gmail.com The year will involve me taking up monthly projects like spending 24 days of 30 on Indian trains, finding positive stories in Sri Lanka, rock climbing in Thailand, walking though mountains in Peru, cooking in Mexico, cycling across USA and stand up in New York.