In the classic Alice in Wonderland, one day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat on a tree. "Which road do I take?", she asked. "Where do you want to go?" was his response. "I do not know", Alice answered. "Then", said the cat, "It doesn’t matter".

I travel by the same route everyday to my bus stop and from there, board a bus to my college, which again goes on the same discovered path. While riding till my stop, I always think how similar our life is to a road trip. We keep treading straight ahead, not taking a moment to try out a different path or make a new one.

Travelling on a recently tarred road that is smooth for us to ride on, gives much joy and excitement just like how reaching certain milestones of our life makes us proud and motivated to do more, however simple the task is. It increases our scale of achievement and there is nobody to stop us. We feel on top of the world. And just then we encounter a speed breaker! Or sometimes we are moving at such a speed that we are too late in applying our brakes. That is when we skid and fall.

We are moving with fellow beings but there is hardly any realization of their true existence, although sometimes we have the privilege of a friend giving us company for a small distance. That turns out to be the most beautiful part of life. Just us and a pal, on a journey in the same direction, on black or muddy roads (we do not care) under the blue sky, humming the tunes of life and turning each note to melody. Memories remain.

Someday we suddenly find that a road has been closed for repair and and we must take deviations just like how we need to dodge some of the surprises thrown at us by life. Even there, police are posted at regular intervals. Some of them guide us while others make the journey worse with unwanted questions, just like the supposed "well-wishers" in our lives. Despite the police being around or traffic signals everywhere, accidents happen (read ‘love’ or some other major decisions with respect to life). Some are small enough to overcome and return to normal life, but some scar us forever.

Once in a while, we take holidays and visit new destinations (read hobbies, maybe). The new world mesmerizes us only for a few days and then we are back to monotony, excepting a few who are brave enough to give up their old life and think of a new possibility for themselves. Whatever it is, we still keep travelling. Some roads may have a dead end but there is always a U-turn and life goes on.