EDITOR’S NOTE SHREEVATSA NEVATIA12 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | MAY 2018
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epending on their destiny,
adventurers are either fools or
heroes of their stories. I have no
illusions as to which one I am. In my
writings elsewhere, I have professed as much,
admitting to more folly than valour. I storm in
when caution is called for, swing big and miss
bigger. But even during my most colossal
missteps, I never lack chutzpah. In a more
reflective light, my bravado is as entertaining
as it is sobering.
Physical daredevilry, which I am less prone
to, affords its own kind of Sisyphean theatre.
At the limit of your body’s endurance, every
judgement you make is in doubt, especially
by that little voice in your head. Aron Ralston,
the American hiker whose life became the
basis of Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, had a comical
back-and-forth in his mind minutes before
chopping his arm off. Obeisance to nature
has a high price. The hordes of mountaineers
stranded in avalanches or sailors taking on
deadly tides will certify that.
For a majority of travellers though,
adventure isn’t usually this dramatic. There
is no life-or-death expedition to the end of the
earth. No lost-at-sea survival sagas. Adventure
in travel these days is achievable if your health
and wallet are willing. They are now about
ticking off bucket lists. What also motivates
modern thrill-seekers is fun not fear. A sense
of mortal peril, if at all, can only help shore up
bragging rights later.OF ODDS AND ENDS
WH AT M OT I VAT ES
MODERN THRILL-
SEEKERS IS FUN NOT
FEAR. ANY PERIL
HELPS SHORE UP
BRAGGING RIGHTS
My appetite for adventure travel is
questionable at best. However, my colleagues
and fellow writers are less intimidated. They
boldly went where I wouldn’t, returning with
thoughtful and moving retellings. One of them
had her head in the clouds after skydiving
and bungee jumping in New Zealand, another
described her trek to Auden’s Col in India as
a near-religious experience. A father, who
recently turned 60, journeyed to South Africa
to dive with sharks whereas a dispatch from
La Paz in Bolivia packed in more action than I
could imagine. In each case, accomplishment
was the goal but the conquest of inner demons
became the unexpected reward.
My personal summit this time last year
was to create a National Geographic Traveller
India that held the boundless promise of
adventure; not just an excellent travel
magazine but a superior read that competed
with the best in the business. Despite being in
uncharted waters, my team’s ambition held
it in good stead. If success guarantees glory,
then we can rightfully lay claim to our fair
share. In the process I was, as I have stated
often, happy to be more playful than heroic.
Adventures, in the end, leave you satisfy-
ingly depleted. Perhaps, everything didn’t
meet your impossible expectations. Surely
you could have done more. But once you have
hoisted that flag or surfaced from the ocean,
it’s time to catch a well-deserved breath. In
the words of Jay Z, “Onto the next one.”¾National Geographic Traveller India is
about immersive travel and authentic
storytelling, inspiring readers to
create their own journeys and return
with amazing stories. Our distinctive
yellow rectangle is a window into a
world of unparalleled discovery.OUR MISSIONWrite to me at [email protected] or Editor, National Geographic Traveller India,
7th Floor, AFL House, Lok Bharti Complex, Marol Maroshi Road, Andheri East, Mumbai- 400059.