How Solo Traveling has got me Addicted to Evolution

16/1/2025

How solo traveling has got me addicted to evolution

I often come across this question - "Why do I travel solo". Solo traveling for me is not a style-statement. I started traveling solo after various failed attempts in planning trips with friends. And more importantly failed executions on trips because each one had a different purpose to travel. Some friends wanted to get high on trips, some friends wanted attention from the opposite sex in the group, some friends wanted to enjoy swimming pool in a resort and some wanted to spend hours in the room dressing up before venturing out. When I realised that my interests were not aligned to any of these, I was forced to travel solo. I have an unmatchable level of energy on my travels. Solo traveling eventually became a way of life for me.

1. I realised I’m responsible for my own happiness

With lot of importance given to codependent relationships in our society, most of us fail to understand that nobody else is responsible for your happiness except you. Being forced to believe in codependency, I too had a hard time learning this through my solo travels. Being constantly surrounded by people in my regular life - friends, colleagues, family, I never got a chance to realise this. When I started traveling solo surrounded with strangers everywhere, when I had some travels gone wrong, when I had to take charge of everything around me, in strange lands, I learnt taking responsibility for my own happiness.

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2. I started respecting every individual

Earlier, the only people I used to connect with were the ones who shared similar interests as me (sports, dance, outdoors) and would talk a similar language (sarcasm, logic) as I did. I completely ignored the rest of the world. I’m glad that traveling taught me the importance of every individual on planet. Because I traveled solo, I had to rely on the locals a lot to understand their region. They neither spoke my language (sarcasm) neither did they dance salsa and bachata, but I had so much to learn from them. On my travels I discovered that simplest of the people won my heart the most.

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3. I learnt to handle failures, I learnt to let go

I had grown up as an achiever, topping the school every year, winning almost all the competitions in my town, getting degree of my choice, cracking interviews of the companies I desired to join. If ever I fail in achieving my target, I would find faults with myself and come back with my improved self to “Achieve” it. I was always in competition with myself if not with anyone else. I had never learnt to handle failures until I started trekking. Time and again I had to give in to the mighty mountains, powerful nature and failed expeditions with reasons beyond anyone’s control. I also landed up with few misadventures on my travels, where the only option was to be happy with the available alternatives. I learnt to let go of my plans and make the most of what I have. Life was easy when I stopped craving to control everything around me. Learning to handle failures was actually a win for me, I learnt to win over my ego.

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4. I became humble

So used to excelling at most of the things I took up, I had an arrogant side to my personality which I had overlooked for years. Mountains humbled me with its majesty and so did the great people I met on the road. The skilled locals on the mountains who helped me achieve my “dreams” of climbing the peaks, the ones who saved my life when I had risked myself to near-death situations, the crazy travelers who had traveled across the globe and had so much knowledge to share, the achievers who had scaled so many heights in various walks of life - each one who really impressed me had one thing in common - humility. I was far from being humble compared to them, but I learnt how important it is. Today, when people appreciate my humility, I feel evolved.

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5. I learnt to go with the flow

When I planned my travels and wanted to execute the plan in the most efficient way, many a times I lost the fun of enjoying the moment. There were times when I would uncover something really interesting about some place and would have loved to spend more time there, but to be on the plan, I had to miss out on enjoying that moment. That’s when I started backpacking, with absolutely no plan, no bookings, so that I had the flexibility of spending time the way I felt then. I even stopped researching much about any new destination I wanted to visit, apart from the local transportation. And I realised I actually loved being in the moment. I started enjoying my life even more when I could implement this to my life in general. It takes away a lot of burden and lets me cherish every moment. I have no plans for my life, the only aim in life is to evolve!

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My travels have opened up my mind in many different directions and I know I’ve a lot more to learn. I kept evolving with my travels and this is a serious addiction!

How do I finance my travels and other passions

15/1/2025

How do I finance my travels and other passions

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It is easy to give up on our passions by giving excuses to ourselves

Keeping our passions alive is a challenging endeavor, and sustaining them financially is even more arduous. I can attest to this firsthand. It may come as a surprise, but I once abandoned my passion solely due to my own financial concerns. Let me take you back to 1997-1998, when I discovered my first passion: Badminton. I achieved remarkable success, winning the State Championship and representing myself at the National Badminton Championships. My entire life revolved around badminton, and I never imagined my existence without it. However, in 1999, my parents compelled me to abandon badminton to prepare for my board exams. Despite my earnest attempts to convince them to allow me to pursue a career in badminton, I failed to persuade them. Consequently, I spent the next six years in a state of deep depression. For years, I held onto the belief that my parents had shattered my spirit with that decision. Living in the Himalayas provided me with a sense of “nirvana,” albeit not a profound one. Gradually, I realized that my insecurity stemmed from my fear of financial inadequacy. If I had pursued a career in badminton and not been able to secure a stable income, it would have been easier for me to give up.

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Started spending on my passions (dancing) after I started earning

Taking up computer engineering, securing an internship at an IT multinational, and living a comfortable life was a breeze. My first job was at TCS Ahmedabad, where I was a workaholic and progressed well during my first year. However, I soon realized that the other aspects of corporate life didn’t interest me much. After accumulating a wardrobe filled with the latest fashion trends, money became less of a concern for me. I yearned to pursue my passions. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find suitable badminton partners in Ahmedabad. So, I turned to my next passion: dancing. (I had studied Kathak in school.) I enrolled in the best dance classes in town and honed my skills in various styles, including Jive, Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, Waltz, Hip-Hop, and Jazz. While others (who were earning as well as me) would fret about the costs, I went ahead and invested in my dancing education. I also cut back on unnecessary expenses like salon visits, beauty treatments, fashion accessories, dresses, sandals, and makeup. Additionally, I decided to take up swimming again.

Moved to Pune to continue pursuing my passion in sports and adventure

I embarked on my first-ever Himalayan trek to Bhrigu Lake (14,500 feet) when I was 16 years old. It was an unforgettable experience that left a lasting impact on me. However, I faced a dilemma: how could I pursue my passion for adventure while juggling my job? Seeking a solution, I joined Infosys and relocated to Pune. My intention was to explore adventure activities on weekends, but to my astonishment, I discovered a hidden gem within the Infosys campus—sexy wooden badminton courts. After a gap of 12 long years, I picked up my racquet once again and dedicated myself to badminton. Through my passion and dedication, I became the “Corporate Badminton Champion of Pune” for several years while residing in the city.

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I began dedicating time and money to dancing (this time, it was Tango with Sandip Soparrkar and Bachata). On weekends, I embarked on city explorations, visiting markets, bars, spas, restaurants, and the nightlife. Soon, I purchased my sweetheart, the i10, on EMI (Infosys had offered me a substantial bonus for joining). This enabled me to venture out of town on weekends, transforming long drives into exciting road trips.

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I began taking weekend treks and engaging in other adventure activities in the Sahyadris.

RavenousLegs - Solo Travel, Adventure Travel, Sustainable Travel

Started traveling to take my passions (trekking and scuba diving) to another level

I switched jobs to IBM for a modest pay increase and upgraded my wine preferences from Sula to French wines. My treks in the Sahyadris were replaced by treks in the Himalayas. As I hiked in the Himalayas, I discovered that engaging in activities brings me greater happiness than accumulating material possessions. I’ve written a separate post about this transformation: How trekking changed my perspective on life. With this newfound attitude, I was able to reduce my spending on materialistic luxuries that were once part of my life. I started saving even more money to fund more challenging and expensive mountain expeditions and international trips for scuba diving. I also had to invest a significant amount in purchasing the necessary gear.

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Quit my IT career to give myself a chance to make a living out of my passions

I never owned anything substantial except my car. I lacked the savings to invest in anything except the annual Tax saver FDs. I was content with managing the best lifestyle I could afford. However, comfort always made me feel uneasy. One persistent issue was that I wasn’t utilizing my full potential, which frustrated me. I recognized that my potential far exceeded my own imagination. This realization led me to rediscover my passion—this time, it was for adventures. After working for 9.5 years, I gathered the courage to quit my job, take a year-long break, and assess if I had the fortitude to pursue my passions. The only savings I had when I left my job were my maturing Tax-Saver FDs and my accumulated PF. Despite this, I still had the courage to part with most of my belongings, retaining only what I truly needed that could fit in my car, ensuring my mobility and location independence.

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Lived on my savings and collaborated with Tourism Boards

After quitting my job, I dedicated the entire year to my savings. I embarked on a 1.5-month backpacking and adventure trip to Southeast Asia, exploring Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Subsequently, I spent 16 months living and backpacking in various parts of Himachal Pradesh. During this time, I even managed to purchase a MacBook Air and high-end trekking shoes. I made a conscious effort to avoid unnecessary spending and focused solely on the essentials. After relocating to Tirthan Valley, I began blogging regularly. This led to invitations for sponsored trips by tourism boards. Additionally, I completed a few sponsored treks with trekking companies and was fortunate enough to visit luxury properties for property reviews.

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Freelanced as travel blogger and travel planner

My year-long break ended in March 2017, and I was supposed to resume earning from April onwards, as per my initial plan. However, I had made up my mind to forgo corporate life and pursue my passion for adventure travel. I was a bit concerned about my financial situation and decided to freelance with travel companies for travel writing and blogging assignments, as well as personalizing trips for a few enthusiastic travelers. (This wasn’t an easy task either. I had even carried my laptop to the Everest Base Camp trek and worked from there during the acclimatization days.) The freelance work started covering 80% of my modest expenses, and on the side, I continued to work diligently to establish myself in the business aspect of adventure travel.

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Made my way to my dream job

It took me four more months than my deadline, but I eventually landed a dream job. I’m now the Product Manager for SCUBA Diving for Trip360, a new adventure unit of Cox and Kings. Adventure and travel are now my passions! Getting here was incredibly challenging, but I’m glad I didn’t give up on my second passion because of financial insecurities.

So, all of you who were simply seeking figures and calculations, such as the percentage of my salary I kept for my passions, the annual amount I spent on my travels, and the like, I understand that I’ve let you down with this post.

However, I can confidently say that all of my passions were entirely funded by my own efforts, even while I managed to cover all my living expenses, took care of myself when I fell ill, cooked and bought my own food, drove myself to various places, stood up for myself, made my own decisions, and pampered myself with wines—ALL BY MYSELF. And let me tell you, EVERYTHING came with a price!

My intention is to convey that it was never about my earnings (I’ve made significant compromises on my income to dedicate time to my passions) or my spending. It was always about my attitude towards my passions and my priorities.

I viewed spending on my passions as an investment, which is ultimately paying off.

Tips on Solo Traveling for Women

14/1/2025

Tips on Solo Traveling for Women

It takes a lot to travel solo. Lot more than what you see in the glamorous selfies. It is even more difficult for women to travel solo. Lot of women are ambitious, but still hesitant to travel solo. Though I'm a solo traveler, I understand it is not everybody's cup of tea or choice to travel solo. I respect personal travel styles and choices. Thanks to all my friends and readers who can appreciate the courage and efforts I put in for my adventures and solo travels.
On request from lot of readers, I'm sharing tips on Solo Traveling for Women. This is not any bible, I'm only sharing what I've learnt through my experiences.

1. Keep friends / family informed about your trip and locations

Always keep 2-3 friends and/or family members informed about your travel plans and locations.
Friends can be a moral support in case of misadventures. You still need to be alert at all the times and choose the destinations carefully.

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2. Interact with people to understand them before fixing them up for your travel logistics

Being a backpacker, I never book anything in advance except my flights. This might not suit everybody’s travel style. But if you are backpacking, just like me, have short and formal conversations with the property owners or care takers, guides, cab drivers whom you want to fix up for your travel logistics. Observe their body language and try to understand their intentions. If you feel something is wrong, trust your intuition and move on.
I remember an instance when i chose a taxi driver to show me around few places in Ladakh. We got so comfortable with each other on the trip, that he even invited me for lunch at his place on our way back. His wife had kept simple Ladakhi meal ready for us. She joined us for the rest of the trip and carefully dropped me back home.

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3. Learn about safety measures from the locals

Each place would require different kind of attention for safety measures. I always prefer interacting with decent locals (males and females both) to give me tips on the local culture and traditions.

RavenousLegs - Solo travel tips

4. Choose your invites very carefully

Never sound easy to people. Your attitude translates into the respect you command. There would be lot of people inviting you to different functions, festivals, parties, gatherings, events at new places. While you might be tempted to accept the invite and experience something new, just be very careful when you choose to say yes to those invites.

RavenousLegs - Solo travel tips

5. Carry a torch and pre-downloaded google maps

I never carry pepper sprays or knives or sticks during my travels. All I need is a torch and google maps to find my way back home. My brain is alert all the time! In foreign land, it is difficult to get help for directions from people on the road due to language barrier.
Having said that, you might want to be equipped with whatever suits you, including the pepper spray. Whatever it takes!

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6. Walk around the streets to feel the vibe

If you are a backpacker, just like me, and avoid booking accommodation in advance, I would advise you to keep updated about few areas frequented by travellers. Try reaching to any new destination in the day and walk around the shortlisted areas to get a vibe about the place. Follow your instincts and choose the right accommodation for you.
For travellers who prefer booking in advance, I am not the right person to advise on how to choose an accommodation online. Online reviews can give few insights about the place.
In any case, try and walk around the streets of any new destination, to feel the vibe of the place.

RavenousLegs - Solo travel tips

7. Enjoy your own company

Learn to enjoy your own company to keep away from the possibility of getting involved into unwanted company of strangers. Engage yourself in meaningful activities like photography, adventures, reading, interaction with interesting people in public places or just silent commune with the nature. Making new friends is always a pleasure, specially on travels, but a "forced" company is a "no-no".

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Also Read: 5 Tips for Creating Engaging Solo Travel Videos for YouTube.
Suggestions to add to this post are welcome in the comments!

What it takes to Travel Solo : Motivation and Insights

13/1/2025

What it takes to Travel Solo : Motivation and Insights

I’ve been traveling solo extensively since 2012. Even before I started blogging about my travels, I used to share my experiences on Facebook. Over the years, I’ve received countless messages from women I’ve met on various journeys, as well as those I’ve never encountered. These messages have been filled with encouragement, appreciation, and expressions of admiration for my solo travel endeavors. My inboxes and blog comments have been inundated with questions and tips specifically tailored for solo traveling women in India.
Just a week ago, I had the privilege of speaking at a blogging event where I engaged in an interactive session with enthusiastic women who aspire to embark on solo travel adventures in the future. I’ve been promising many of my blog followers to create this post, and I’m thrilled to finally deliver. To all the bold and beautiful ladies out there, and even the handsome gentlemen who dream of solo travel, this post is for you!

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Let me put before you the deeper aspects of solo traveling, before I share the practical tips.

1. Have a Strong Reason to Travel Solo

Solo travel isn’t a trend to be followed. While it may seem appealing to see women traveling solo, it’s not for the trend or the cool solo-selfies you might enjoy. For me, travel is a profound and meaningful experience. I view it as the best way to evolve.

RavenousLegs - Insights into Solo Traveling

Solo travel breaks all my inhibitions, making me bolder and more confident each day. This is the reason behind my attempts to step out of my comfort zone and try new adventures on each of my trips. Travel is not just a fleeting trend for me; it’s a meaningful way of life.

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2. Identify if you fear Loneliness or enjoy Solitude

Before embarking on a solo travel adventure, it’s crucial to introspect and understand your personality. Consider whether you can comfortably live alone in your own city, your comfort zone. Do you relish dining out alone? Are you passionate about exploring new places and have the motivation to venture out on your own even when your friends decline the invitation?

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If you’re constantly craving company, I suggest avoiding solo travel. Loneliness can make your travel experiences miserable. Traveling alone brings its own set of challenges that you’ll need to handle on your own in a foreign land.
But, if you have embraced the solitude, then my friend, you are in the league. Solitude is dangerous, it is addictive. Once you know how peaceful it is, you don't wanna deal with people anymore. Solo travel could make you love your solitude so much that it becomes hard to return to a life with others.

RavenousLegs - Insights into Solo Traveling

3. Believe in yourself

Coming from an Indian family, I understand how our families shape and mold us to conform to societal norms. However, if you genuinely desire to follow your heart, whether for travel or any other pursuit, you must break free from the constraints imposed by societal expectations. As I’ve rightly read somewhere, “Magic happens outside your comfort zone.” The obstacles that prevent you from doing so are self-doubts and apprehensions about the potential consequences. So, believe in yourself and take the first step.

4. Get Started

If you’ve met the above three criteria and are confident in your ability to travel solo, all you need is that final push to begin. Trust me, all it takes is a single step. Even as an experienced solo traveler, I occasionally encounter apprehensions when I arrive at a new destination—“Am I making the right decision by being alone here?” and the next thought is, “Now that I’m already here, let me make the most of it,” which ultimately leads to the most exhilarating journeys of my life. So, it’s these small initial steps that make a significant difference in your travels and your life.

RavenousLegs - Insights into Solo Traveling

5. Follow your instincts

This is the greatest gift solo traveling has bestowed upon me. My impulses were always strong, but due to the naysayers, I never learned to trust or believe in them. People around me were always ready to discourage and make me doubt my gut feelings. On my solo travels, I had the opportunity to experiment with completely following my senses, without any external involvement or interference. Over time, I developed the confidence to believe in and follow my own instincts, and I started traveling fearlessly. I even embarked on a solo trek in Ladakh.

RavenousLegs - Insights into Solo Traveling

This is akin to a chicken-or-the-egg dilemma. To relish solo travels, you must cultivate self-belief. With consistent practice, your skills and confidence will naturally improve.

RavenousLegs - Insights into Solo Traveling

Once you have cleared your mind, the practical implementation is not too difficult. I'll share tips for women on solo traveling in my next post.

What I'm doing with my life "After Quitting My Job"

12/1/2025

What I'm doing with my life after quitting my job

No, I haven’t figured it out yet, and that wasn’t the plan either!
But when I write this blog straight from my heart, sitting in the lap of mother nature, watching the sun silently shy away behind the layered Himalayas, drinking the freshest chamomile tea from the organic farms of this pure land, I know I’m loving my life much more than I did when I lived in the cities.

Quitting job to follow passions

I wanted to gift myself a backpacking trip to southeast Asia for taking a bold step of resigning without any plan in my mind. I had planned not to plan anything till I come back from the trip and to give myself complete break from work after the trip to figure out my life after quitting the corporate job. The number of months depended on the part of my savings I kept aside for the break. The sooner I exhaust the amount, the sooner I need to start earning.

Quitting job to follow passions

After quitting, I visited home for a couple of weeks. I planned my travel dates there and booked my flights. I spent 6 weeks backpacking in 3 countries viz. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The only thing I had booked was my flights to Ho Chi Minh City and return from Phnom Penh. I like this pure backpacking style where I have no plans. I wouldn’t know where i’m spending the day or night. If I like a place, I stay there longer, I plan my next move as per my mood. I don’t like being restricted to a plan on my mind.

Quitting job to follow passions

On my return journey at the layover at Kuala Lumpur airport, I got connected to check my emails and there was an email from an adventure travel company offering me to join their team as a co-founder. I spoke to the team and they sounded promising about the ideas they wanted to implement to make a change in the way the adventure tourism exists in India currently. I had long conversations with them and agreed to join the team in Gurgaon. I had my return flight from Phnom Penh to Delhi. I met the team in Gurgaon and by then they had planned to strategically set up the operations out of Bir in Himachal Pradesh. I readily agreed to move to Bir, as a first step to living in the mountains. I went to Mumbai, packed my luggage and stuffed as much as I could in my car and donated the rest. I dropped some stuff at my parents house on the way and drove to Bir.

Quitting job to follow passions

I lived in Bir for 3 months, trying to understand the team and hopefully implement the ideas we had been discussing about all this while. Unfortunately, due to difference in approach within the team, the work didn’t go in the direction I was hopeful about and I wasn’t ready to start working in a direction where I wasn’t interested in. I hadn’t quit my job for this!

Quitting job to follow passions

Meanwhile my trekker friends planned a high-altitude trek to Kalindi Khal. This is the same team I had trekked with last year to one of the most difficult treks of Garhwal Himalayas - Auden’s Col trek. I wasn’t physically and financially ready for the trek. But my friends wouldn’t just buy these reasons. They helped me getting my trek sponsored and left the fitness part to me.

Quitting job to follow passions

Legend has it that I come back from every trek with some strong decision, this time I planned to not continue with the startup and take more chances in life, all alone. I came back, talked to the team and moved out of Bir.

I then planned a backpacking and trekking trip to Spiti which was long-waited in my list. I spent around 1.5 months living in different villages in Spiti.

Quitting job to follow passions

On my way back from Spiti, I spent a week exploring Kinnaur. Kinnaur was unexpectedly very beautiful! I then took a break from mountains to go back to cities for personal work.

Quitting job to follow passions

I’m now back in the mountains, this time in Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh.
I have had a long history with the Himalayas. I want a lifestyle, like everyone does. But my choice of lifestyle is - breath clean air, eat fresh organic food, drink pure water and live healthy life. I’m trying to live in different parts of the Himalayas, experience the rough terrains and the tough life along with the lifestyle priorities i’ve chosen for myself. Once I’m sure about this lifestyle, I would want to choose my ways of earning around it.

Quitting job to follow passions

My whole idea of quitting my job without any plan was to give a break to the worries of future and explore myself and places to slowly let my life unfold. I don't believe in planning for solutions, I rather enjoy uncovering them - something that travel taught me to believe in!

It's definitely not easy to keep away from the thoughts of earning, I do keep exploring and evaluating my options on my way.
I haven’t figured it out yet, and that was never the idea either.
The journey is on and completely worth it!

How Scuba Diving in Andaman encouraged me to quit my job

11/1/2025

How Scuba Diving in Andaman encouraged me to quit my job

I had no alternate plans. I wanted to change my software engineering profile within 2 years of joining TCS as my first job. Like every engineer, MBA was my backup plan. But, I guess destiny had something else in store for me. Eventually, with switching jobs to Infosys and then IBM, i started getting comfortable with my salary and spending all of it on my passions - badminton, travels, adventures, parties, friends and luxuries.
The mornings were depressing when I had to force myself out of the bed to drive to office for the monotonous desk job which never motivated me. I hated talking to machines, I hated interacting with people virtually on conferences. I would just look forward to complete my day’s job to go to the Badminton courts in the evening.

At the back of my mind, I always wanted an alternate career, which I could never figure out. I kept waiting for something to motivate me and some brilliant idea to strike, so that I could quit my job.
In my last project in IBM, I was working irregular hours, spending maddening hours on conference calls and ordering food from outside. I had no routine and started losing out on my healthy lifestyle that I've always tried to maintain, ever since! My inner voice told me that maybe it is a sign from the universe!

I strongly wanted to quit my job and give myself sometime off to figure out my next move. I calculated my little savings and counted the number of salaries I would still need. As the last month (November 2015) arrived, I got goosebumps thinking about the future days with no salary. The thought “Am i doing the right thing? what if.. what not..” started cropping up. I just hoped that I could gather enough courage to leave my steady flow of income. It was easier said than done.

I utilised my pending leaves to celebrate my birthday diving in the Andaman Islands. On one of the days, the sea was nasty and choppy. While we sailed through the rough tides, the divers on the boat got motion sickness too. Gearing up while the boat swayed 40 degrees each side, was impossible without the other person holding you. In this condition, when I stood on the boat platform for the giant stride, I wasn’t sure if I should dive or just let it go. There’s always a next time to dive at the same place. My heart silently whispered to me to take the stride and experience how it feels. I TOOK THE GIANT STRIDE!!

Giant Stride - Scuba Diving in Andaman

and swam to hold the line, I smoothly descended upto 30 meters of depth amongst various beautiful and colourful shoals of fish.

Line descend - Scuba Diving in Andaman

and I was surprised to experience the sea so calm. It was peaceful, steady, calm deep down there. The chaos and the fear of the choppy sea on the surface was soon forgotten.

Deep Dive - Scuba Diving in Andaman

The dive at Johny’s Ledge was my first deep dive and one of the best. I was lucky to spot 2 white tip reef sharks that day. It was my first shark spotting too.

Shoal of longfin bannnerfish - Scuba Diving in Andaman

Had I not gathered enough courage to take the giant stride into the choppy sea, I would have missed out on something very beautiful.
I applied this analogy to resigning from my job. On the surface of it, it looked scary and choppy, but in my heart I believed its going to be alright and beautiful. I came back home and within a week, I called my manager and told him about my decision. He asked me if I’ve already decided or is there any scope of change of mind, I firmly said, I have decided. I was the happiest person to have been bold enough to do this.

This was the just the first step towards something I would love to do, but i amazed myself with my confidence. The confidence I showed in my decision was enough for me to spend rest of the months of notice period in peace. I knew everything was going to be alright.

RavenousLegs - Solo Travel, Adventure Travel, Sustainable Travel

How trekking changed my attitude towards life

10/1/2025

How trekking changed my attitude towards life

Pampering myself with all the worldly pleasures made me happy until trekking happened to me. I had done my first Himalayan trek at the age of 16, and I always wanted to come back to the Himalayas. Over the time priorities had changed and making a decent career had taken a front foot. As soon as I realise that I need to keep all my passions alive, I started trekking again. I gave break to badminton, dance, weekend get togethers and road-trips and took long leaves to head to the mountains. I got addicted to this adventure.

Trekking - adventure for deeper meaning to life

My initial couple of treks were more about taking pride in the sense of achievement. The more i trekked and spent time in the mountains, the more I realised that I don’t need materialistic frills to be happy. I was my happiest self living out of a backpack in the toughest conditions. I literally lived with basic necessities - food, clothes, shelter (tent). Nothing more! I carry my own backpack while i climb and every ounce counts at those high-altitudes where the oxygen levels drop to just survival.

Trekking - adventure for deeper meaning to life

I needed more utility clothing than any fashionable clothes. I carried only the survival gears. 4 pairs of clothes to last for 10 days. None of the brands made sense there.
I didn’t take bath for all these 10 days and I looked the freshest, my skin glowed, my hair shined without any professional styling products that I was used to otherwise.

Trekking - adventure for deeper meaning to life

The simple eggs, rotis, veggies, dal chawal, tasted so much better in these altitudes, which none of the fine dining in the cities could match upto.
I loved taking the trails where no vehicle or human would reach. I got addicted to freedom, space and pollution free environment.

Trekking - adventure for deeper meaning to life

The life-threatening situations I faced on the treks made all the problems we face in our daily lives look so small, that I stopped worrying about them altogether.
But i was happy, everyday! Doing things I love made me happy and not buying things, I realised!

Trekking - adventure for deeper meaning to life

And this realisation proved costly too.
High rise buildings and malls looked depressing to me. I need lot of space to gaze my eyes around.
I felt restricted on the roads stuck in the traffic jams. I need my freedom to move around as per my will and choice.
Pizzas and burgers no more satisfied my taste buds. I craved for the fresh basil, mint, spinach straight from the organic lands.
Working from desk in a virtual world didn’t motivate me at all. I got used to sensing life with real human connect.

Trekking - adventure for deeper meaning to life

I stopped buying unnecessary things, I would buy only what I needed. I stopped buying plastic completely. I would carry my own cotton bags to grocery shopping. I walked more to minimise the use of petrol. I cooked my own food and stopped eating out frequently. I kept a check on my drinks too because I started aiming for tougher treks each time and fitness was of prime importance. I started saying no to every party so that I could save for my treks and international travels.

I very smoothly transited to a phase of minimalistic living without me even realising about it. When I sensed I was already in "THE PATH", life seemed more meaningful and beautiful.

Trekking - adventure for deeper meaning to life

How solo traveling has got me addicted to evolution

1. I realised I’m responsible for my own happiness

2. I started respecting every individual

3. I learnt to handle failures, I learnt to let go

​4. I became humble

5. I learnt to go with the flow

How do I finance my travels and other passions

​It is easy to give up on our passions by giving excuses to ourselves

Started spending on my passions (dancing) after I started earning

Moved to Pune to continue pursuing my passion in sports and adventure

Started traveling to take my passions (trekking and scuba diving) to another level

Quit my IT career to give myself a chance to make a living out of my passions

​Lived on my savings and collaborated with Tourism Boards

Freelanced as travel blogger and travel planner

Made my way to my dream job

Tips on Solo Traveling for Women

​1. Keep friends / family informed about your trip and locations

​2. Interact with people to understand them before fixing them up for your travel logistics

​3. Learn about safety measures from the locals

4. Choose your invites very carefully

5. Carry a torch and pre-downloaded google maps

6. Walk around the streets to feel the vibe

7. Enjoy your own company

What it takes to Travel Solo : Motivation and Insights

​1. Have a Strong Reason to Travel Solo

​2. Identify if you fear Loneliness or enjoy Solitude

3. Believe in yourself

4. Get Started

5. Follow your instincts

What I'm doing with my life after quitting my job

How Scuba Diving in Andaman encouraged me to quit my job

How trekking changed my attitude towards life

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4. I became humble

It is easy to give up on our passions by giving excuses to ourselves

Lived on my savings and collaborated with Tourism Boards

1. Keep friends / family informed about your trip and locations

2. Interact with people to understand them before fixing them up for your travel logistics

3. Learn about safety measures from the locals

1. Have a Strong Reason to Travel Solo

2. Identify if you fear Loneliness or enjoy Solitude

RavenousLegs on X