After sharing glamorous pictures on my social media account from my solo Udaipur trip, I wanted to put down my thoughts about all the real and non-glamorous things I witnessed. This article shares my travel experiences that I did not share before . It captures how travelling solo happened to me and my struggles while pursuing it. It encapsulates how have I successfully traveled solo and also shares moments that made me smile.
1. How Solo Vacay happened to me ?
I have been an impetuous person. Corporate tried to tame me down, but as Geet says in Jab We Met, “Mei toh Mei hun”. This trait brought me closer to travelling. Because I needed to take a break from hectic workdays, all my vacation plans were made on Friday mornings for Saturday Checkins. In January 2016, I decided to pursue travelling actively. However, soon I realized that I was never going to go, if I waited for someone to come for me. Being a solivagant was never a choice initially, but today I am in love with it and there’s no going back.
2. I have been Scared and Brave both
I have always believed in sailing away from the safe harbor. I would be lying if I say that I never found shady people or activities around me while travelling. Be it bike riding with a stranger to Rohtang Pass in Manali or asking complete strangers about taxis on a deserted road in Udaipur when Uber failed to help me- I have seen it all and kept my cool. In those moments, I might have been scared a little inside, however that never deterred my spirit to travel and wander more. The only thing that matters to me is that one day, my heart will stop beating and none of my fears will matter. What will matter is how I lived.
3. It’s all about having an Itinerary
Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better. I am not a super human that I don’t get loneliness pangs. I do. But you get them more if you are indolent. The concept works in daily routine and so when you travel. Hence, having an itinerary when you travel alone is a MUST. You need to define your next day’s plan in advance. I have usually kept my plan tight so that I got to explore more and slept right after landing on my bed.
4. Asking random folks to click a picture
I am old school. While selfies are cool and in-thing, I still prefer storing pictures of me in front of serene landscapes and beautiful palaces for memories. To build my tapestry of memories, I have without hesitation asked strangers to click pictures. For all those people who have asked me about how have I managed to get such awesome pictures , they need to know that I have 100 odd pictures in my cell phone out of which- one not so good piece is shared below, wherein I requested this lady to click me & the palace and she captured only my face ;). Nonetheless, I am grateful to her for taking time out and at least clicking. 1 person even said NO to me by the way ;).
5. I have smiled all by myself and I have loved it
Keeping my fears and schedule aside, I have caught myself smiling all by my self- be it on the top of a hill , by the lake or after the camel ride in an unknown city. More importantly, I have loved myself for living the life in the right way.
' fill='%23359391'%3e %3cpath d='M46.1538462%2c43.5714286 L41.5%2c50 L36.8461538%2c43.5714286 L36.8670256%2c43.5714286 C36.3173077%2c42.7142857 36%2c41.6851429 36%2c40.5714286 C36%2c37.4854286 38.4535641%2c35 41.5%2c35 C44.5464359%2c35 47%2c37.4854286 47%2c40.5714286 C47%2c41.6851429 46.6826923%2c42.7142857 46.1329744%2c43.5714286 L46.1538462%2c43.5714286 Z M41.4294872%2c39 C40.6150641%2c39 39.9487179%2c39.675 39.9487179%2c40.5 C39.9487179%2c41.325 40.6150641%2c42 41.4294872%2c42 C42.2439103%2c42 42.9102564%2c41.325 42.9102564%2c40.5 C42.9102564%2c39.675 42.2439103%2c39 41.4294872%2c39 L41.4294872%2c39 Z' id='Location-white'%3e%3c/path%3e %3c/g%3e %3c/svg%3e)
