Travel is always about the memories
Though this is about Treebo’s Junior Checks In, I can’t help but remember my earliest memories of travelling with my parents. We were going to travel to Port Blair. I was almost 4 and whenever someone asked me where we were going, I would promptly point to the sky. Since I knew we would be travelling by aeroplane.
I am sure we all have sweet memories of travelling for the first time. That first sand castle you made, the first glimpse of awe-inspiring mountains, travelling overnight in a train for the first time or visiting the zoo or museum – all special moments. Many of these have ceased to be a novelty in today’s world.
Yet, travelling to a new destination still excites everyone young or old. It opens up a new horizon – a new place, new attractions, new things to learn, the list is big! And what better way to usher in the new year than by resolving to travel more!
We strive towards betterment every single day of our lives, but New Year holds some special promises, resolutions which mean to bring change. Change for good.
Which is why, we at Treebo aspired to bring smiles to young, innocent faces and give them the gift of travel through their new initiative Junior Checks In. Travel teaches like no other, and the smiles made us resolve to make this happen every single year!
Read on to find out more about Junior Checks In:
Rabindranath Tagore being dissatisfied with the education system more than 150 years back, set up his dream school in Santiniketan, where the approach to education was different from the mainstream.
Divya Deepa Charitable Trust endeavours to do something similar. They have set up a school to help children in rural areas. School drop outs, slow learners, underprivileged, all are welcomed here with open arms. Not only are they prepared here so that they can earn their living, but also face life with all its intricacies.
Day 1:
From the outskirts of Mysore, where Divya Deepa is located, Treebo arranged for 33 children to come to Bangalore. 33 young minds, bubbling with excitement and apprehension boarded the bus and thus begin their journey. A first, of many more to come, where they travel independently to uncharted waters.
Bus Journey:
The 3.5 hours bus ride was full of entertainment, as the young vivacious kids grooved to the music and put up quite a show. Chandu, one of the 33 kids explained how everybody joined in the dancing, the hours flew by, and soon they reached their destination Treebo Crystal Castle, their base for the next two days.
Check In at Treebo:
It was a real joy to watch their faces as they were welcomed to the hotel by the gatekeeper, ushered to their plush rooms and later when they had lunch at the restaurants. It was all new to them, and they could not hide their glee. The small faces glowing with warmth and joy was a sight to behold. And for us Treebs, it was our reward!
A trip to the zoo:
The next stop on their itinerary was the Bannerghatta Zoo. A visit to a zoo is something we all have experienced in our childhood. But for these kids, it was their first again!
And not just watching wild animals like Lion, Tigers even White Tigers up close, they actually went on a safari ride where they saw the animals in their natural habitat and not in cages. This was surely one of the highlights of the trip as the kids enjoyed immensely.
Evening bash:
Back at the hotel, there was a big party awaiting the happy kids. A magic show, a puppet show, balloon art, music, dance, fun, it was an evening to cherish both for the kids and the adults who revisited their childhood.
The spontaneity of the kids bowled us over. This is what travels does to you. It brings out the best in you, makes you want to live, to see those unknown places, do things you have never done before. It “imparts new vigor to the mind”.
The party ended on a happy note and the innocent minds went to bed wondering what is there in store for them the next day.
A visit to the museum:
Next morning a visit to the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum ignited those curious minds. Museums are a great place to learn things that you usually find in your textbooks, a hands-on experience is much more important than reading it from a book.
It was a pleasure to see those small hands and brains at work inside the museum. Their faces rapt in attention as they listened to their teacher Suchitra explaining the laws of science.
An unforgettable experience:
To travel is to live. It makes us modest, shows us what a tiny place we occupy in this huge universe, it teaches us not just about a new place, but also about ourselves and our lives. It enriches one and all.
The children of today are our future, it is necessary for them to go beyond their school or home and have new experiences.
We are glad we could help these 33 kids from Mysore to have a unique experience and create everlasting memories. This is not all though, we plan to ignite many more minds, create many more travellers and explorers in the coming years.
Check out our video of this Treebo initiative here.
