bhaskar saikia

There’s a certain kind of magic in those who travel—not the tourists with checklists and selfies, but the travelers who take the road less travelled. These are the people who shaped the world.

Take Monte Verde, Chile. For most tourists, it’s a dot on the map not worth their time. But for travelers, it’s a pilgrimage. Why? Because Monte Verde isn’t just a place; it’s a story that challenges what we thought we knew about humanity’s past. Archaeological discoveries there—human remains and mastodon bones over 14,500 years old—push back the timeline of human presence in the Americas.

For decades, the prevailing belief was that humans migrated to the Americas via the Bering Strait Land Bridge about 13,500 years ago. Monte Verde rewrote that narrative. It told us humans were there earlier, long before the supposed “first” migration. And it took curiosity, courage, and a willingness to go beyond the ordinary to uncover that truth.

This spirit isn’t new. It’s the same fire that burned in Al-Biruni, Zheng He, Columbus, Vasco da Gama, James Cook, Ferdinand Magellan, Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta and Fa Hien, Hiuen Tsang—people who stepped into the unknown and changed the course of history. It’s what drove a 22-year-old Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle to the Galápagos Islands, where he sketched the first outlines of evolution. It’s what inspired James Cameron (yes, the Titanic and Avatar maker) to dive into the Mariana Trench, reaching the deepest point on Earth, alone.

Travelers like these aren’t just wanderers. They lose themselves in the places they visit, not merely observing but absorbing their essence. They carry little more than a backpack, a map, and an open mind. And in return, the road gives them something extraordinary: wisdom and perspective.

I admire these people because they aren’t ordinary. They are fearless, patient, strong-willed, and endlessly curious. They embrace solitude and find clarity in silence, understanding that life itself is a journey. In their own way, they are messengers—carrying fragments of civilizations across borders, connecting people, and inspiring change.

Travelers are like pollen, carried by winds of curiosity across mountains, oceans, and deserts. They leave behind traces of wisdom, stories, and hope wherever they land. They remind us that happiness isn’t about hoarding things but about moments, experiences, and the courage to move forward even when it’s uncomfortable.

We are all travelers—whether we acknowledge it or not. From birth to death, we journey through countless landscapes of life. And perhaps the greatest tragedy is forgetting that spirit, trading wonder for routine, and choosing safety over discovery.

So, let’s loosen our grip on security for a moment. Let’s look beyond screens and hotel comforts. The world is still waiting—full of hidden Monte Verdes, sunrises in Kalahari silence, and sunsets that remind us there is no end, only new horizons.

Because, at the heart of it, happiness is found in movement, in exploration, in saying yes to life’s vast, untamed beauty. That is the ecstasy of being a traveler.