I sat in front of a blank screen wondering what I should write about when it comes to Goa. I’ve been writing about so many places that I have traveled to and yet I hesitate to write about the one place that I hold closest to my heart. It’s the place that I call home and the place where I lived my entire childhood in. So why do I hesitate to write about Goa?
Goa Is More That A Tourist Destination To Me
The more I think about it the more I realize that I can never think of Goa as a tourist destination. It is home and home is scared. You can take a Goan and place him/her in any place in the world and yet you can’t take Goa out of the Goan. That just doesn’t happen. We identify with our tiny state and it forms a large part of our identity. The fact that I see Goa as more than a tourist destination is one of the reasons why I hesitate to write about Goa.
I wandered out of Goa over 11 years ago. I wanted an education and if I was to get my Bachelors in nursing I had to move where the college was. As time passed I realized that most people referred to Goa as a party hub… A place where you could get cheap alcohol. Many head over to our beaches to drink up and enjoy. Needless to say that almost every Indian who meets me asks me about the alcohol in the state. That is something that really rubs me the wrong way! The references that are made aren’t something that I like so I guess that’s why I hesitate to write about Goa. Many people fail to see past the cost of alcohol. That probably is one of the reasons why I should be writing more about Goa.
There Are Way Too Many Emotions Involved.
Emotions may actually be one of the prime reasons why I hesitate to write about Goa. Every street that I walk on in Margao reminds me of something. Every familiar tree and every familiar building generates a warm feeling in my heart. Normally when I visit a new place I’m excited. I want to know what’s different. Each time I pass through Goa’s borders I keep my fingers crossed and hope that nothing has changed.
That being said, since I don’t look at Goa as a tourist destination I wonder what I can offer the readers. Will telling them about our famous poder (baker) make them smile? Or will they appreciate our Goan customs? Will I be able to describe the streets in a way that satisfies me?
So many questions and so much of hesitation… Yes! I think it is more about satisfying myself with the quality of writing that about the reader. Why? Simply because when it comes to Goa everything needs to be perfect!
So Will I Take The Plunge?
The internal struggle is real. It led me to ponder on all the reasons why I hesitate to write about Goa and yet I’ve made up my mind to take the plunge. A part of me still wants to hold back but with this post I’ve put a tentative foot through the door. I’ve decided that my posts aren’t going to be so much about what you can do in Goa. They are going to be about the local life. Posts about the way people function, about how culture is shaped and how 450 years of Portuguese influence shaped us to be who we are.
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