Harshee's Lit Lounge

Writing for this blog has been a joyful journey till now, and I’m truly thankful for all the love and support you’ve shared with me. In my last two posts, I talked about Lipstick and Literature—two ways I express myself and tell my story. But now, I want to talk about something deeper: Liberation.

What does liberation mean to me? On Harshee’s Lit Lounge, I’ve said it’s about having open, honest conversations—ones that set you free, that uplift your spirit, and that help you feel more like yourself. It’s that lightness in your chest, that quiet joy of becoming who you truly are.

There’s something undeniably liberating about stepping into unfamiliar places, meeting people whose lives are vastly different from mine, and letting the world surprise me. In those moments, I feel most alive. Most untethered. Most me.

I feel incredibly blessed to say that I have been traveling since the very beginning of my life. From exploring the charming, café-lined streets of Paris, where every corner whispers stories of art and romance, to fulfilling a childhood dream by visiting the Harry Potter sets in London—each journey has shaped my understanding of the world in ways words can hardly capture.

Some of my most favorite memories have been tied to exploring every corner of this beautiful Earth, holding my parents’ hands tightly as we ventured into the unknown. I remember the fascination of seeing the Colosseum for the first time in Rome or learning how to pronounce Ni Hao properly while visiting Beijing. Every trip was a new adventure, every destination a new story to unfold.

Travel has taught me more than any classroom ever could, like patience (thank you, flight delays), resilience (hello, last-minute itinerary changes), and compassion when I connected with people from entirely different walks of life. It has shown me how beautifully diverse the world is—not just in landscapes and landmarks, but in people, cultures, and everyday moments.

What makes traveling so special to me is not just the places themselves, but the memories I’ve created with the people I love. Sharing laughs with my sister over street food in Bangkok, becoming captivated by the futuristic skylines of Dubai, or simply driving with the wild in the forests of South Africa—those are the moments that stay with me long after the suitcase is unpacked.

Now, every time I set foot in a new place, I take a piece of that childhood wonder with me. I travel not just to see new sights but to feel more connected—to the world, to others, and to myself. This is what liberation is to me, and I hope that by sharing my journey, I can inspire others to find their own magic in the world, one step at a time.

(P.S.: all pictures belong to me!)