About My First Solo Trip
‘Life moves very fast, friend, and if you don’t stop, look around once in a while, you could miss it.’
When pandemic hit the world, it became personal to each one of us. Maybe not for everyone but most of us started questioning the meaning of life. I used to think about it everyday and with every plan I used to make for my next step. I lost the value of achieveing so much externally that I started appreciating what I had at that point of time. I realised how much I want to experience in life, and grow with all silly mistakes. While going through my gallery, I made one promise to myself which was to travel to places, and one long vacation to Ladakh.
I thank my stars that I was able to do what I really wanted to — A Solo Trip To Ladakh. I always used to have a conversation with Neeraj (Founder) from On His Own Trip around my sudden urge to pack the bags and leave for a trip. After lots of thinking through it, I made a sudden decision to visit Ladakh. The decision came from within and after a very long time. I did not discuss it with anyone ( it’s very rare of me!). Of course, I took permission from my parents, and stars were on my side, fortunately. Ticket were booked within 24 hours!
On this ride, 20 strangers traveled together. Each one of us was a solo tripper, and none of us were aware about the magic room we were entering into. I wish I could knit the words in a more beautiful way, and take you for a walk to one of the best 10 days in my life.
Once Again I started Loving Myself
Life is so fast that we forget that there is a lot of goodness around us. We get drowned so deeply, that we forget to look at the sun during the day. On this trip, 20 strangers traveled together and impacted each other in numerous ways. It’s mesmerizing that someone who doesn’t know you at all has all the right words to make you feel at home. Yes, this is what had happened. Every conversation, tears, laughter, and silence with them brought me closer to myself than anyone else. I became more aware of myself and started loving myself a little extra since then. I think at times, we all just need to breathe for days and let everything else flow. There is beauty in slowing down.
Fallen in Love with Majestic Landscape.
Do you remember the times, when we were a kid and eagerly used to look outside the window rather than the phones? I had a similar experience where I was in awe of the beauty around me. What I have witnessed could not be justified in words, but here is my take. Just take it slow, imagine that you are driving across the majestic mountains with crystal clear skies, you could see how shadows of clouds have covered the mountains. Mountains had different shades across the journey, I felt as if every mountain has a story to tell. While going through many roads in between the journey, I remember a road near Nubra Valley, where I witnessed the lake so clean that it was the mirror image of the reality around it. Maybe once in a while, takeout time to appreciate the beauty around me. Trust me, you will definetly feel better than before.
Becoming Hopeful
My trip started with food poisoning and a few hospital visits on the very first day. Well, you could very well identify my mood here and yes, I was annoyed by my stomach. But this is the very day, where I started to believe in Kindness once again. I remember clearly, my roommate became so concerned about me that she reached out to various doctors, brought me good stuff to eat, and was around me every minute of the evening. I wonder who does this to a stranger, but she did. I’m glad she did because that became the foundation of my trip. Eventually, with time, everyone sort of played different characters of a family and started caring for each other in a way which in my opinion was love in its purest form. Within a few days, folks started sharing the deepest fears & secrets, we all cried together and eventually slept together. I wonder if this isn’t a leap of faith? Then what it is. I realised the value of being vulnerable, it takes an act of courage to share one’s story. Thanks to those who do it because it inspires folks so much that you could not even put a number to it.
Smiles Stayed!
Our heart shines with golden light when we talk about people we love and who love us. When we smile for them, then this smile is contagious. It makes them smiles too. That’s how I felt about my trip to Ladakh. For me, it’s just not a destination to be ticked mark, but a place which has my heart. When I came back to Delhi, I remember smiling while entering my friend’s house. They asked me why I was so happy and I had only one word to answer ‘ Ladakh Trip’. Even after three months of this trip, it gives me a warm and cozy smile. Maybe it’s helping me to love again.
Safe Space to be Vulnerable
With every year, we build another wall around our thoughts. We built it so strong that sometimes, it becomes difficult for us to even break it. Maybe we are so glued to the screens, we had forgotten the beauty of the conversation over a cup of chai in the middle of the day. This trip allowed me to be just me. Or we could say, I allowed myself to just be myself. Maybe that’s the reason you will see me happiest in my Ladakh pictures.
20 different folks, came with 20 different stories. Every story stayed with us, some for longer duration others for shorter. Interestingly, every story did have an impact on us. We trusted each other with our vulnerable hearts, and with every new narration, the trust game became stronger. The beauty of the world in my opinion lies in this conversation where the intent is to understand and just be there. It made me realize how stupid I was to think the world would not appreciate the real me. They would but the first step starts from within.
Someone I admired said to me once, ‘Every time you leave a person, just leave them better than before’. Today I finally understood the meaning of it. After this trip, I became a better person than before. My intent from here on is to leave a place/person with a better vibe and keep loving myself more with each passing day.
Pass a smile, whenever you walk to by, you never know how great a gesture it could be for others. Try sometime!
