A Wish

By Shravya Vadali

I wish to travel solo without telling anyone where I am

To be lost in a crowd, talk to strangers and not feel burdened by the thought of something new

To ride the waves and not fear the ocean's wrath

To walk along the shore and not fear the sand getting into my clothes

To eat by a restaurant and not feel awkward without company 

I wish to look at the stars in the middle of the night 

Have a romantic evening with the moon and not worry about my safety

To get lost on a trek and not worry about the stay for the night

To place importance on memories, not just Instagram worthy pictures 

To go whenever and wherever not just because I'm going to live only once 

To just explore instead of checking off boxes on a travel checklist 

My heart breaks a little every time these thoughts are cut down as childish and immature by my brain

By Shravya Vadali