Bro, It's My Dream... Really?

Looks like it has been so long since I posted a blog.

What's the topic?

Well, after every bike ride, or even after my last hitchhike, many people usually ask me one thing.

"Bro, it is my dream to do all these things."

To be very honest, in this internet generation, it is very easy to get into that trap.

We see someone riding alone. We see a mountain road. We see a tent, a bike, a beautiful sunrise, a small tea shop, and suddenly we feel, "This is my dream."

But is it really your dream?

That is one question I feel everyone must ask themselves.

Not just for bike rides. For anything.

Do I really want to do this?

Or am I just attracted to how it looks from outside?

Because there is a big difference between loving the idea of something and loving the actual process of it.

I am a solo bike rider. Most people who follow me already know that. And the reason behind that is something I have confessed a dozen times already.

For me, solo riding is not some style statement.

It is not for proving that I am brave.

It is not because I want to look like some lonely hero on the road.

I genuinely like that space.

I like being alone with the road.

I like that silence.

I like the freedom of stopping wherever I want, thinking whatever I want, and moving at my own pace.

That is my why.

And I feel that "why" is very important.

If your why is clear, then the how can be figured out slowly.

But if your why itself is borrowed from the internet, then even the easiest road will feel heavy.

Because the end result always looks beautiful.

The photo looks beautiful.

The story looks beautiful.

The "bro, you are living the dream" comments feel beautiful.

But the process is different.

Can you sit on the bike for long hours?

Can you handle bad roads?

Can you manage fear when you are alone?

Can you handle it if your bike gives some problem?

Can you repair at least small things?

Can you stay calm when something goes wrong?

Do you have that little survival mindset?

Because a bike ride is not only riding into a sunset.

Sometimes it is standing beside your bike and thinking, "Okay, now what?"

Sometimes it is dust.

Sometimes it is confusion.

Sometimes it is tiredness.

Sometimes it is loneliness.

Sometimes it is just you, your bike, and no one else to blame.

And still, if the process gives you joy, then maybe it is really your dream.

That is why I always feel we should start small.

My first bike ride was around 300 km.

It was not some legendary ride. It was not some big adventure. But honestly, it was fun for me.

I liked the road.

I liked the small stops.

I liked the tiredness also.

I liked the feeling of going somewhere on my own.

That small ride gave me the answer.

It told me that I was not just falling for the final picture. I was enjoying the process also.

And I think that is the only way to find out.

Start small.

If the small process itself feels good, continue.

If it does not, leave it. There is no shame in that.

Not every beautiful thing has to become our dream.

Some things are beautiful only from a distance.

The problem starts when we see someone else's end result and immediately make it our own dream.

Do not ever fall for the end result.

Because the end result lies very beautifully.

It hides the fear.

It hides the struggle.

It hides the boring parts.

It hides the small failures.

It hides the preparation.

It hides the "why" behind it.

So before saying, "This is my dream," ask one honest question.

Do I want the whole thing?

Not just the photo.

Not just the praise.

Not just the feeling of looking interesting.

Do I want the process also?

If yes, then go for it.

If no, be honest and move on.

Ahem... and yes, there is no thumb rule here.

I mean, I may be completely wrong too.

Honestly, this theory fails against myself also.

I started book reading when I was in BTech mostly to show off. I wanted people to look at me like, "Oh, this guy reads books." Very intellectual fellow and all that nonsense.

But slowly, somehow, reading became part of me.

Now I genuinely enjoy it.

So yes, sometimes even a wrong reason can take us to a right place.

But I feel those are once in a blue moon cases.

We always hear people saying, "Sachin was 10th fail, still he became Sachin."

Correct.

But for every Sachin, there are thousands of 10th fail people struggling in cycle shops, small works, daily wage jobs, and places nobody talks about.

No offence to anyone. Work is work. I am just saying the truth.

Exceptions are very loud.

Reality is mostly silent.

That is why we should be careful while taking life advice from exceptions.

One person may start something for show off and end up loving it.

But most people start something for show off and leave it the moment the hard part comes.

That is why I am not saying, "Never try."

Please try.

Try many things.

Try small things.

Try stupid things also.

But do not blindly marry the final result.

Date the process first.

Spend some time with it.

See whether you can live with its boring days, ugly days, lonely days, and difficult days.

If you still like it after seeing all that, then maybe it is really yours.

Because experiencing something is different.

Feeling that it is awesome from outside is different.

The internet can show you the dream.

Only the process can tell you the truth.

Bubye...