Salt, Sea, and Second Chances
I still remember the surprise when my father told me we were going to Tuticorin for summer vacation. Tuticorin? I had never heard of it before! But when he pointed it out on Google Maps—nestled between Kanyakumari and Rameshwaram—I felt a spark of curiosity.
We arrived at a remote, fascinating place called Aqua Outback, right in the middle of vast salt pan fields. The air smelled of salt and freedom. My father’s plan was simple: watch him kite surf. But as often happens, plans change when the wind blows—literally.
Before I knew it, I was on the board, holding the kite strings—hesitant, nervous, and unprepared. I fell. Again and again. The coach scolded me. Frustration bubbled up, and for a while, I didn’t want to try anymore.
Yet, something about the place pulled me back each day. The wind that picked up every afternoon didn’t just fill the sails—it filled me with quiet resolve. The shallow delta was perfect for beginners, and my father’s subtle encouragement stayed with me. I kept trying. Not perfectly, but persistently.
On our kayaking day, I discovered things I never imagined in one place: fading shells, ghostly corals, dozens of snails, and mangroves guarding the edges like green sentinels. Walking across the salt pans, we even stumbled upon gypsum crystals forming quietly beneath the surface—a little science lesson from nature itself.
Even the food became an adventure. A chef from Chennai experimented with flavors that made me pause between bites, reminding me of my French grandparents’ kitchen.
Looking back, Tuticorin was more than a vacation spot—it was a teacher. Real learning sometimes looks different. It looks like falling and failing, being scolded, feeling low, and yet showing up the next day.
This journey taught me what textbooks rarely do: success isn’t just about mastering a skill—it’s about mastering your response to failure. Nature, like life, doesn’t give straight lines or neat lessons. It gives surprises, complexity, and moments that demand courage.
To all students: take the trip, try something difficult, fail if you must—but don’t give up. Sometimes, the most extraordinary places quietly teach you who you really are.
