911Camper: The Inspiration

Is there anything better than reading outside? All you couch potatoes, and snugglers, hear me out!

I feel more alive whenever I step outside with a book. The world seems so full of possibilities, and adventures. There is a reason for that.

Let me tell you when I started reading outdoors

During my childhood, I frequently visited my grandmother’s place at a quaint little village in Telangana. Like most villages in India, people there spend most of their time outdoors in nature and when I stayed there, I did too. From getting up early to play under the bright sun to afternoon picnics at nearby farms where we built wood fires and cooked outside, each and every day at grandma’s brought along several picture-perfect moments.

Those days, my grandmother used to coax me to read outside. She insisted that I should take advantage of the natural light. At first, I was not very eager to leave the coziness of reading indoors. But, one fine day I decided to listen to her. When I stepped out, there was a gentle breeze, fragrance wafting from frangipani trees, constant chirps of birds and sometimes, people. I went and sat down under the shade of a big banyan tree and started reading. I was prepared to leave not more than ten minutes later. But, as you can tell, that’s not what happened.

I realized how exhilarating it was to read while life was happening around. All my senses were awakened, and I felt more connected to the book, and to the world around me. This was a turning point for me.

Today whenever I step out in Bangalore, I carry a book or two with me. This way I can appreciate the city and the book better!

I have several interesting stories about reading outdoors

Each of the places I have visited has come to signify a book memory for me. Like, dozing off at Windmills Craftworks on a hot afternoon while reading Sapiens.

There are many such incidents, or accidents, I should say. Do you want to know about my experience reading at Nandi Hills in Bangalore, Hikkaduwa beach in Srilanka, or Enteveedu homestay in Wayanad? You can read it all here

All that being said, I do have some problems with reading outside..

Reading makes me really hungry. Everytime I find my reading haven outside, I have to leave not more than an hour later because of my hunger pangs. Yes, I know. This has happened to most of us. As I don’t like to eat from outside, this has really become a nuisance.

Just like any developer, I saw a problem, and I wanted to immediately fix it. So, I listed out ways to solve it.

Should I pack food? But, how much food? And, what if I want to sleep in between, and then get back to reading at the same place? I should tell you why I am mentioning this. You see, I have, at multiple times, dozed off at cafes while reading, and more than once been startled awake by awkward coughs and strained ‘sir, please wake up’. So, the issue of sleeping arrangement was also something that I needed to address. I began reading on the internet, talking to people, and picking their brains on how to take the convenience of home to whichever place I want to read or camp.

And that eventually, my friend, led to the building of 911camper!

This camper is going to feed my vagabond reading habits, and also give me the option of extending my stay wherever I want to.

What exactly is 911camper? Keep Reading