02/12/2014
LIFE is too short
“A tea shop owner couple who have visited 16 countries, one dream destination left“
Story is shining example of pursuing one’s passion, no matter what the circumstances are. And because of his constant pursuit, Vijayan, -owner of a small nondescript tea-stall in Kochi, has travelled almost every tourist destination in India, as well as toured 16 nations—France, UK, Austria, and Egypt feature in that list.
Even with the tea-stall being the only source of his income, it never deterred him from travelling. “I got the obsession [of] travelling from my dad; he took me to different places since I was 6-years-old. We went to Madurai, Palani, and many other places. Those travel memories with my dad helped me unleash my dreams,” Vijayan told The News Minute, crediting his father for his wanderlust.
But the journey has not been easy, to say the least. After his father’s death, the responsibility of the family fell on his shoulders, and he fulfilled it stoically. And with the tea stall being the only source of income, it was never an easy task to pursue his dream to travel. He and his wife, would take a bank loan and the spend the next three years working very hard to repay it. And the cycle has continued so far, for the past 45 years.
“There will be many hurdles, but we can overcome that through hard work. If you really wish to chase your dreams, nothing can stop you from it,” he believes.
Vijayan follows a simple principle for saving money, “I save Rs. 300 a day for our tickets and spend just 10 dollars or less on picking up some tiny souvenirs from the places of visit. We don’t spend anything more.”
The couple has travelled extensively, but there the one country on their wish list that they still havent had a chance to visit is United States of America. Due to their age and financial insecurities, securing a loan has become increasingly difficult for them but he is confident, that his and his wife’s passport will soon be stamped with that visa as well.
