A decision that changed my destination

by Divya Thawani (India)

Making a local connection India

Just don't read this because you gotta have selection to be done, visualise the experience i write to live some moments I did in the past and 700 words will literally be less so I will still share! My travel diaries have always been connected to the kind of a person I want to shape myself with by learning from others, living the culture and values, falling, jumping, running but never stopping. So further you will realize how every travel is connected to something with my life because for me Travel = Life! A little philosophical. It was the most hard fought road trip planned with my friends against family wishes to experience what it meant to travel & explore all the way from Mumbai to Uttrakhand (1150 kms / 27 hours drive). The decision to be stubborn enough to live my dream of travel started from the destination Uttrakhand, India. Uttrakhand has the most amazing places to discover like :- River rafting in an extremely cold water, jumping of the cliff to learn to come over the fear of falling in life straight 25ft, praying to energy so strong in the woods while thinking about the ones that live in the wild, exploring the jungle and wild in true sense rather than just having a safari to look animals and get excited, researching about the pros of forest & it's materials, driving on a crazy accident prone hill road to discover how terribly cold it could be on the mountain top yet the world could seem beautiful and where the heart comes to peace and you just figuring about how to live the real life where your bosses and family are literally behind your asses and money. Most importantly a trip where the digital cam was in the bag and the camera in the eyes was wide open to every minute experience. It was possibly the best trip I started with. I am an anonymous human who wanted to live life on my terms and understand the perspective around the human world and how beautiful is the other side (animals). In Uttrakhand there were total 9 places I had been to, River Rafting, Cliff Jump, Temple visit and Mountain exploration in Rishikesh, Holy place and Jungle safari in Haridwar, Forest research Institute and Meditation Centre in Dehradun with Flower Garden also then Local Streets and Sunset Point with cable wire travelling in Mussorrie and finally the mountain top at Dhanaulti with basic adventure activities and exploring the place as we drove. This whole journey was so surreal. The mountains have their own story to tell and people who stay share the most warmest bonds, I am glad there were away from the city shits, simple & happy living! Literally specially when you visit there on a road trip with your best friend also on some off roads. The north Indian food specially the chat is the most famous and addiction a foodie could have aloo parathas, dhahi chaat, fire pan, dhai bhalle, tandoori moms, momos, desi chinese, chole bhature and a lot more... We reach at 7:00 am in the morning after a non-stop 27 hours journey hunting for the cheapest stay, say 1200 bugs (16 $) for 4 people in one room in a smelly lodge but we loved it, it was an easy point. We dress up in our rafting attires and sunglasses on to go via a share "VIKRAM" towards the rafting area, a raft of 18 kms, I am asthmatic and strictly wasn't allowed but the dark friendship secrets we shared none of the three had the guts in balls to tell that to our guide and finally I raft the rafting experience. We start of it's tickling in stomach I don't wanna die unmarried. The guide was funnier and it was amazing as we save our asses until the 3rd rapid. The 3rd rapid said half of the people jump of and the rest stay, I an asthmatic decided to jump of and that was the best gift I gifted my self it took the hell out of me but worth it everyone facing odd in life must do it. Story to be continued... Let me know next one!