The One Time I Let Go of My Itinerary

by Avani Lalka (India)

A leap into the unknown India

Most times, I travel for a specific reason - trekking to high altitudes; wanting to explore how a festival is celebrated in another part of the country; witnessing a culture fest or disconnecting from the routine (sometimes, mundane) city-life. This one time, in August 2019, while I packed my bag, I wanted to let go of my itinerary, that was prepared so carefully for the last month. I was apprehensive about it, having never travelled without a plan, but I did want to try and enjoy the bliss of slow travel. When I reached Dharamkot, a quaint little hamlet in the Dhauladhar ranges, the monsoon was in full force. The Himalayas and monsoons are a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can give you the most exquisite view of the mountains as if they are freshly laundered; the lush green valley has the power to take you back to your happy, soothing memories - bringing you solace. While on the other hand, the passes can get very dangerous due to landslides and the traffic jams caused by it can be your living nightmare, at times lasting for days. Often, rains can make a few trails for hiking and trekking inaccessible, altering your plans drastically. For me too, the rains played spoilsport, however, the misty days made it perfect to explore the town on foot. The chantings that resonated from His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s temple made the perfect background score, as I sipped on warm Thukpa, one afternoon, in a cafe nearby. On my last evening, the sky had cleared in the west after a rather gloomy afternoon; the mist was settling in the east, enveloping the Dhauladhars. With a little over an hour of daylight left, I decided to go for a short hike and try to catch the sunset from the mountain-top. As I walked alone with nothing but nature for the company, it felt more like meditating than hiking. Climbing higher I could see the ominous dark clouds gathering, threatening to pour down anytime. So, instead of going all the way, I chose to just sit on a rock, took a breather and savoured the panoramic view in front of me. I could see the mighty Dhauladhars stretched out as far as my eyes could see. The valley beneath, dotted with brightly coloured roofs, was filled with the tinkling of the cowbells as the herd returned to their shed. The bleating of sheep reverberated in the air from the grazing land, nearby. Sitting there on the rock, as my body, mind and thoughts relaxed, I could not help but remember the people I met and replay all the conversations I have had in the last few days with: an anthropologist from the UK, an artist from Spain, a zoo-guide from Argentina, and two sisters who had come from New Delhi to celebrate the pre-wedding party. The anthropologist, at one point, mentioned to me, “I keep coming back to India every year. It seems like I need to consummate my relationship with this beautiful country”. The artist was going through career-crisis and had chosen to live in this hamlet for 4 weeks doing Yoga and learning tattoo art in the hopes of finding life-altering, career-altering answer(s). The young Argentinian made me jealous of his job as it allowed him to spend 6 months working and remaining 6 months travelling and exploring the world. About the sisters - the younger one wanted to fulfil the dreams of her sister of an all-girls trip before she marries and goes off to her in-laws. While talking to them, hiking with them, sharing a meal with them - I realized that each one of us goes to a place for a reason. Having a plan does help. It ensures that you do not miss out any of the “significant” places. However, once in a while it is okay to slow down, to not rush, rather enjoy the sunset a little longer, sit in the cafe and have another helping of the delicious carrot cake. You never know where and how you might meet a person and have the conversation that changes everything. When was the last time you let go and enjoyed the moment?