My Incredible Survival Story From My First Solo Trip Abroad And What I Learned

First, a bit of context and backstory. I am a 30-year-old-man who married his long time girlfriend two years ago and had a baby boy in September 2017. I work in a travel and hospitality setup in Delhi and so am required to travel out of station at least once a month. It's a mundane job, but it pays well so I stuck with it for over four years.

In October 2017, I had to attend a client conference in Prague, Czech Republic. I was extremely excited because a Euro-trip had been a lifelong dream. I obviously wanted to take my wife along, but we both decided that it would be too soon for our newborn baby. So she generously stayed behind with him.

My official work in Prague was done in two days, and I decided to extend my stay to explore this beautiful continent. My wife was also happy with the idea because she knew how much I loved travelling.

And by golly, did I NOT have the time of my life in Europe!

It was great to start with. In Prague, I visited unbelievable spires, drank the world's best beers by the lazy Vltava River, and spent my nights loitering around admiring the Bohemian architecture all over the city. I caught a train to Venice on the third night, where I was welcomed by a gondolier inviting me for a ride to my hotel on a gorgeous afternoon. The epic grandeur of the Grand Canal can hardly be described in words, but I could certainly admire it while sharing a beer with the locals in a bacaro (bar). The crimson sunset of the city was a sight to behold.

On the seventh morning of my trip, I boarded a flight to Paris. I was really excited about visiting the city of love. Paris was everything I had imagined and beyond. Yes, it's instantly familiar but there are still those subliminal nuances of the city that you won't ever find in any text or movie, such as the flea markets, second-hand atmospheric bookshops by the riverbanks, and the supremely-fashionable people. I obviously got a picture clicked in front of the majestic Eiffel Tower, as it is customary. Long story short, I had a wild time!

The times they are a-changin'

I was supposed to fly out of Paris on October 17, but something happened on the 15th that changed my perception about life in general. I was attending a house party at a suburban flat in Paris when suddenly my inebriated self fell off the balcony and landed with a crash two floors down. I was rushed to the hospital by the friends I'd made, just a couple of days ago.

Hours later (I'm not sure how long it was) I woke up on a hospital bed with my wife crying by my side. On looking at her, the feeling of despair was overshadowed by relief on finding out that I was alive and she was by my side. Luckily my travel insurance had informed my wife and booked a flight for her to Paris! I didn't even know about it but good travel insurance plans, like the Reliance's that I had taken, there's a provision called as compassionate visit which reimburses the return ticket fare for a family member visiting the insured if the latter is hospitalised. Miraculously, I only suffered a few fractures in my body, but I spent many uncomfortable nights later thinking about what would have become of my family had something worse happened. The travel insurance took care of my hospital bills too.

My wife and I flew back to India together and all we could talk about was how grateful we were that I was okay. One very important thing I silently realised was the fact that I was not actually a student anymore. I had a family, who I was responsible for and loved dearly.

Past's a glum mime but the future's mine

I rejoined office soon after but I couldn't stop thinking about my overseas misadventures. I personally called up Reliance Travel Insurance's office and thanked them for the quick financial and emotional support they provided.

For someone who doesn't understand, a travel insurance is the most basic form of insurance while you're travelling. Should anyone avail it, it will take care of most of the things that can go wrong during your trip, such as medical emergencies, loss of passport and baggage, trip delays or cancellations, etc.

Reality had struck me and that too very hard. Travel insurances are not just an option but a necessity. It's not that they aren't affordable, it's just the thought that nothing could happen to us. After this trip I highly recommend Reliance Travel Insurance. And guess what, it costs as less as ₹306!

It was after my eventful solo Euro-trip that I realised that in addition to the checklist of things to do before a trip, such as hotel bookings, flights, first aid, and others, I should have also prepared for the very worst. Without having to sound philosophical, life is our longest journey and hence requires the most complete planning for the future, today itself. So the next time you are going for a trip with or without your family, do remember that life is funny and uncertain.

You can check out Reliance Travel Insurance plans here if you wish. Cheers to a healthy life ahead!

In association with Reliance Travel Insurance.

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