Charting the unknown

Routine is a double-edged sword; there is safety and comfort in routine. But the comforts of routine can often lull us into a false sense of contentment, and it’s important to break the pattern from time to time in order to grow. For this week’s edition of our Passion and Beyond series, we have Guruprakash Chinnasamy who has a unique approach to breaking the habit.

For Guruprakash, travel is the go-to antidote when life gets predictable. The funny thing about travel is that everyone loves to travel, but it means different things to different people. In his own words, “Travel is my way to escape the comfort of familiar surroundings. Introducing myself to new challenges helps me grow and know myself better.” The desire to challenge himself is what defines Guruprakash’s approach to traveling. He sets off with only the destination in mind, allowing the journey to take its own course.

Guruprakash has completed several trips in this fashion – from Kanyakumari to Goa, a part of the western ghats, Delhi to Srinagar via Manali, Leh, Nubra Valley, and Pangong Lake, parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and many more. The only constant through his many adventures has been his bike. It all started with his first solo trip to Bandipur and Wayanad where he carved his way across the national park. Ever since, traveling has been a continuous process of learning and self-discovery for him.

While Guruprakash indulges in the occasional journaling and photography to try and capture the essence of his travels, a lot still remains unsaid. According to him, “Traveling is a journey of the self, and it can’t be put into mere words or photographs. While I can still write down my thoughts, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to capture the complete emotional range of my experiences.”

However, figuring out where to rest for the night or what your next meal will be are not the only challenging parts of traveling solo. India, as a country, is both united and divided by its diversity and cultural wealth. Traveling provides Guruprakash with the means to bridge these so-called divides of language, culture, tradition, and religion. He says, “Going offroad and into the great unknown gives me the raw perspective needed to detach from my daily life. I can sit down with the people I meet, listen to their stories, share their experiences, and expand my perspective on life. I think the only way to connect with ourselves is to disconnect with our routine lives from time to time; nature and travel are just the mediums of that connection.”

According to Guruprakash, one of the best parts of traveling without a schedule is meeting new people. On several occasions, when traveling solo or with his wife, he has had the good fortune to make new friends on the road. Sometimes these friends become fellow journeymen and other times, they remain as fond memories. In his words, what makes these meetings special is, “People are the truest versions of themselves when faced with the freedom of the open road and disconnected from the noise of their daily lives. Every meeting is a new adventure for me.”

And what’s even more amazing is that Guruprakash can sustain his passion for traveling while working as a technical lead at Torry Harris. While the experience of traveling has changed multiple times from before the COVID-19 pandemic to where we are now, his love for traveling remains undiminished. Guruprakash says, “While it would be ideal to completely disconnect from our daily lives while we are traveling, the reality of life catches on. We can’t go completely off the trail because, at the end of the day, there are people depending on us – our family, our loved ones, our colleagues, and more. Shouldering this responsibility is also a sign of maturity to me.”

As we grow older, our lives tend to get more boxed in. However, it’s important to not lose touch with the self. At Torry Harris, we seek to envision and build a better world. We encourage our employees to take a break from the monotony of routine to discover and nurture their passions. For Guruprakash, it is traveling. His impassioned pursuit of the unknown across new frontiers is a testament to our spirit at Torry Harris.