How solo driving on Indian highways and Himalayas empowers me as a woman

How solo driving on Indian highways and Himalayas empowers me as a woman

Breaking myths has been my favourite pastime since ever and driving was my fascination since childhood. The first thing I ever wanted to possess after I start earning was a car. As a kid I used to fantasise about owning 7 cars, 1 for each day. 
I come from a typical Indian family where my parents wanted me to buy a car only after I get married. They wanted to instil in me the fear of rejection by guys for marriage if I break my bones or suffer from physical dysfunction on banging up my car.

​Celebrating my freedom with my car

After I started earning, I had many heated up arguments with my family about my desire to buy a car. But that didn’t stop me. Some day, I gathered enough money and courage to buy a small hatchback car, just enough for me. I celebrated my freedom by driving it for a week to various destinations before I “informed” my parents about my new possession.
They were of course not happy, but they had no option except warning me to use the car within the city limits and not on the highways. Little did they know that the car was on highway on all the days for the entire week.
I was a social butterfly when I lived in Pune. I had started enjoying my freedom as I could be out for parties till late, without the worries of availability of public transport, I could explore beautiful destinations around Pune on the weekends.

Driving my new i10 from Pune to Shrivardhan beach

​Breaking egos

I started going out on long road trips with friends. I had to constantly fight the egos of my male friends who always wanted to show that they are better drivers than me, but still, didn’t have the guts or permission to take their dad’s car on road trips. I even learnt to be patient on the roads.

Driving my new i10 on Worli sea link, Mumbai

​Taking safety measures on road for woman solo driving

Gradually I got so immersed in solo traveling that I wanted to enjoy my long drives solo. I started taking my car to Mumbai to meet my parents (of course, without letting them know about it). Having driven to Goa various times with friends, I gathered enough courage to drive solo to Goa from Pune. I had lot of apprehensions about executing this plan.

• The evening before, I went to a mechanic to understand the basics of the engine.
• I got all the tyres fixed and even learnt to jackup my car to change the wheel.
• I got up very early to target reaching Goa by afternoon, keeping enough time before dark for me if anything goes wrong on the way.
• I drove with the windshields rolled up and car locked all the way.
• I dressed modestly on the road trip.
• I didn't want to be noticed driving alone. I avoided taking any break on the way and landed in Goa after 7 hours of drive. ​

My first solo drive from Pune to Goa

Making car my home when I lived location independent

There came a stage in my life when I’d taken the biggest decision of my life of quitting my job as IT professional to give myself a chance to pursue my passions. I decided to take a break from work for a year and slow travel in Himalayas. I had started living minimalistic to have the freedom to move around easily. I donated most of my belongings, packed only what I needed into my car and drove all the way to Himalayas. Being location independent, I explored and lived in different parts of Himachal Pradesh. I had made my car my home. All my belonging were packed in my car for 1.5 years and I used them as and when required when I traveled to different places. I had the luxury of parking my home anywhere as per my comfort if I went on any trek or took flights for any other travels. 

Carpacking in my i10 for 1.5 years in Himachal Pradesh

​Solo driving in Himalayas

Once I realised my capabilities, I never wanted to stop. The sheer hate of being dependent on anyone for my needs lead to me driving solo in the mountains. I still remember the day when I had encountered a huge bus on a single lane road with a steep valley on my side. I completely froze with the sight of valley on my side. I tried to reverse my car to give way to the bus, but I was just too scared, I requested the driver to reverse the bus and give me way. I practised and perfected those narrow roads looking down the valley where I didn't want to encounter any bus, and those sharp blind turns and got very comfortable with the scary sounding drives in the mountains. I traveled extensively in Himachal Pradesh and moved my base to 3-4 different places. I drove frequently to Delhi from Himachal Pradesh whenever I had to take flights to go to another destination. After living in Himalayas for 1.5 years, when I had to move to Mumbai to take up a job in adventure travel, I drove solo all the way from Tirthan Valley (Himachal Pradesh) to Mumbai covering 2000 km in 3 days, making sure I end my drive before dark everyday.

Off-roading my i10 in Himalayas

Feeling empowered as a woman while driving solo

Each time I took my car off on long road trips in the mountains, I felt intensely empowered. The feeling of being able to do something that every female is stopped from, made me bolder with each drive of mine. I eventually started getting comfortable with roads and people in Himachal Pradesh. I no longer felt worried if I had to take food and pee breaks on the way. I started off-roading my i10. I even learnt to drive my i10 on the snow-covered roads. My adventures of solo drives helped me build my confidence on many other things in life. I have never observed any female driving on the highways. And I feel glad I could break this myth in my own head. 

Driving my i10 in snow

Encouraging woman empowerment

The locals in the mountains trusted me with their sisters and wives whenever they needed a lift. The local community where women were never exposed to the idea of going out without any male, got comfortable in sending their ladies with me on short trips as well. Few mothers were happy sending their daughters with me on my morning jogs. The lady from my local family in Tirthan Valley would proudly tell me, “You can fail all men with your driving”. I would always consult the man in the family before taking my car on any new road to which he would say, “You have driven in entire India alone, why should you be scared of the roads here?”​
My friends' parents and my relatives started trusting me with their daughters for any drive on highways. I wish they start trusting their own daughters someday. 
My parents too have stopped questioning me and started showing confidence in my driving on seeing me safe and sound after my solo drives.

My sweetheart i10 has been the best travel companion of mine. Buying a car was one of the best decisions of my life. My car has seen places with me and I feel blessed to have taken those chances which I didn't want to regret later.

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