What Travel Taught My Daughter & Me

2019 was an eventful year for me. So much changed, the impact of which is still sinking in. I also learned a lot from my many travels, the most recent being my year-end trip with family to Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, India.

Travel always teaches us many things, and every trip unfolds new insights… In the city, we get so busy with our busy schedules, that I make it a point to plan the holiday in a way that my daughter and I spend quality time with each other and our family.

So, in December, instead of going to another big city, we chose Rishikesh as our New Year’s Eve destination — a quaint and mystical town located at the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range, besides the River Ganges.

The Ganges is considered a holy river, and the town of Rishikesh renowned for the study of yoga and meditation. Temples and ashrams (centres for spiritual studies) line the eastern bank around Swarg Ashram — a traffic-free, alcohol-free, vegetarian enclave upstream of Rishikesh.

Swarg Ashram is also referred to as ‘the doorway to inner possibility’… While spending time here, nestled in the lap if nature, I had a few realisations on myself, my family, travel, nature and life in general…

Find below the five key takeaways from my trip:

1. Allow nature to connect you to yourself

A city boy at heart, the destinations on top of my list were always London, New York, Paris and similar such. I used to combine work with leisure, and the theory worked well for a while.

But, life did a turnaround, and so did my preferences. In the past few years, I have now been travelling to places replete with natural beauty — mountains, oceans, open skies, endless roads, and clean air.

Rishikesh was no different…The pristine mountains that surround it envelope your entire being. We stayed at a location right by the banks of the River Ganges — the giver of life, and unlimited natural resources.

My daughter and I felt a sense of calm and peace in these surroundings. We did not catch any ailments due to the extreme weather conditions… In fact, the pure air rejuvenated us, and the body adjusted well.

My daughter too threw no tantrums there, neither was she uneasy or restless. It was almost like we were one with the place, completely at home.

Being with nature automatically makes you more inclusive… You realise how vast the universe is, and that there’s life in everything around us. It dawns on you that the creator has taken so much care to create everything from an ant to leaves to the gigantic mountains.

My daughter also began to feel a sense of reverence for nature while there. And, though I like city life, my leanings too are now more toward nature… Because, once you start the journey inwards, you naturally get drawn to things closer to your own making.

2. Don’t let your likes and dislikes become barriers

A holiday is a great time to try something new, and break away from any likes, dislikes or perceived limitations that hold you back.

In a new environment, with new people and new activities, you can start exploring a new dimension of yourself…only if you agree to do something different! So, when on holiday, create new challenges for yourself and discover new possibilities within you.

I was given the option of river rafting vis-a-vis a more relaxed tour by car around the valley…The latter seemed more comfortable, while the former — river rafting for 13 kms in chilly water — seemed daunting and strenuous for a relaxed holiday! But, I consciously broke away from my likes and dislikes, and chose river rafting.

Initially it seemed like a lot of work — putting on the rafting gear and rafting through freezing waters in sub zero temperatures… But, when we finished the first few kilometers, and reached the middle of the valley, enmeshed by the beauty of the river Ganges, the mountains, the sun rays and cool wind blowing…the experience was surreal!

And, as we rafted together as a family, riding over the currents in one voice, any apprehensions that we may have had in the beginning, suddenly disappeared!

3. Include everyone in your plans, the more the merrier!

My intention right at the start of the trip was to ensure everyone was involved, and had a good time. My parents wished to go for a dip in the Ganges, and so did my daughter… Haridwar being a holy place for the dip on the banks of the river Ganges, and also famous for the daily Ganga aarti, we decided to go there.

We also visited Parmarth Niketan ashram and the countless beautiful temples that are housed there.The minute I showed involvement in these activities, my daughter also joined me with much enthusiasm.

From walking the streets of Rishikesh, to crossing the Lakshman jhula, to eating the yummy street foods of Dehradun, all these small but joyous activities made the trip a successful one. As a family, we enjoyed these precious moments, and felt united once again!

4. Ditch the itinerary…go with the flow

We deliberately did not create an itinerary for the trip. Every day, after waking up, we’d decide what to do that day. This gave us the flexibility to do what we wanted, rather than get stressed by a plan.

To my pleasant surprise, it worked out well. On the fourth day, we made a trip to the lovely hill station Mussoorie…

Being a Sunday and the New Year weekend, the car journey took very long, and so the taxi driver decided to take us to Lal Tibba and Landour, both of which had the quaint old colonial feel.

A high tea in a cute café, with views of the mighty Himalayan peaks, at Lal Tibba, and lunch in an English style manor made the trip memorable.

On the way back, we were stuck in tremendous traffic. But, encountering a spectacular sunset, and watching jungle monkeys stop by our car looking for food, made the delay and detour totally worth it!

5. Don’t try to fit in too much, just stay involved in all you do

Since you can’t fit in everything into your holiday, it’s important to enjoy the few things you do, and immerse yourself in the moment… Or else, you land up spending most of the time planning and worrying about what to do next.

On the last day of our trip, we had so many things left on our to-do list, but we decided to just do one last thing — visit the Neelkanth temple, a well-known Shiva temple.

Getting to the top of the temple in peak holiday season took hours of waiting in queue. But, we decided to wait patiently, and spent our time chatting with people at the local souvenir shops… People in queue also started singing and chanting, and we joined in!

On the way back, after the temple darshan, and seeing Lord Shiva in full glory, I realised that just the experience of standing in line with my daughter, in freezing weather, chatting and chanting with strangers, had made the day an enjoyable one.

When I look back at my trip, I now know that nature and those small moments of togetherness brought us together as a family, Of course, meeting new people, eating new cuisine, and experiencing new activities added to it — all making the New Year a different and novel one for my daughter and me.

As 2020 begins, I have only one resolution — to do things that I value and make every moment joyful… As life ticks away, we definitely can’t spend any of it being miserable; we have to make the most of the time we have together with our near and dear ones!

What New Year resolutions have you made to bring your family together? How have you decided to travel and grow together? It’s still Jan, plan while you can, and leave the rest to Divine hands!

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