What I learned from my Year End trip

After months of rigorous design sprints in group projects, brainstorming sessions and all-nighters, I went out on a trip with my friends to Munnar, Alleppy and Kochi, which was not only the best independent trip but also a trip where I learnt a lot!

I am thankful to myself and my friends to decide to go on a trip that good, which not only will make my college life end on a beautiful note but also a boys' trip where we get to discover ourselves through hills roads, backwaters and seashores!

Planning a trip!

Despite my sleepless schedule handling college work and two internships altogether, I took out time to plan a trip with my friends from Christmas eve to the new year!

Always contact first-party service providers, cut the middleman- Thrice my booking was cancelled which was even paid in advance with popular service providers like OYO and Goibibo, but Goibibo has actually good customer service and they reimbursed me with a better property due to the inconvenience. Yes, the homestay in Munnar was really good! This led me to directly talk to 100s of hotels in Kochi to find a room in the peak season of the 31st, which was a good patience-control exercise!

600kms+ touring on a Motorcycle!

• How to ride a motorcycle on the hills! This was the biggest training I got! I had very little experience in riding bikes on ghat roads, how to go uphill, how to come downhill, how to overtake another vehicle while on cliff roads, and most importantly, how to manage the turns! After a point, I was confident enough to make the corners and hairpins in 45-degree craziness!

Touring on a motorcycle. The whole look changed when I loaded the RE with my rucksack in the backseat. It felt like a little home which is mobile and can accompany me to any part of the world!

Handling a Royal Enfield! Yes, at first when I first sat on the bike it felt like I have to tame a big mad bull! It was a highly-vibrating BS3 engine, an 8-year-old bike, and was really undermaintained. I really had to spend a whole day how to manage the 200kg weight of the two-wheeler on slopes and cliffs, especially when I was coming downhill in darkness. While climbing Munnar, my bike stopped 11 times in a really tough situation, which could have been a panic situation, but thanks to my efforts in keeping my calm during therapy and my biker friend Anand, we overcame the situation!

Befriending the Classsic 350. After travelling more than 120 km on the first night, I was having difficulty sleeping. The moment I was falling asleep, I was waking myself out of reflex in the fear of the ‘engine will stop!’ I talked this out to my biker friend the next morning and understood that the vibration of the 350cc engine has synced into my nervous system, and the engine thumping = you are awake, which is a common syndrome among bikers. That day when I started my journey I sensed I am sitting on a friend, not just a vehicle, its vibrations talked back to me like we were conversing, whenever a sharp corner came, I trusted it and made counter-leans, even when we were lost in the darkness without any GPS amidst a forest, I didn't lose faith from me and the vehicle.

Life Learnings. Not only now I learnt how to operate a trip with a motorcycle but I also got something which I could relate to my life.

Focus on the top Priority.
When I was riding, the roads were surrounded by beautiful hill-scapes, tea gardens, skies, clouds, valleys and architecture and Cliffs, but I could not see them for more than a second turning my head. I understood that once I am distracted by what is on the side of the road, my vehicle will lead there only, and what will I hit? Cliffs! So I had to train my mind constantly to focus on the road or die. It was a little harsh but I genuinely felt that how it was similar to my daily life. I have to always focus on what is in front of me, my short-term goals and my present! For long-term goals and other activities, I can only stop my vehicle when there is space to park it and there's time for it, but they are also necessary, and might be the whole reason for riding in life.

Experiencing the moment-

I underwent a long 8-month therapy, and that's probably the best thing that happened in 2022. Thanks to that, I realised how much I have worked in the past year. I could enjoy every second of it.

• When we were cruising on the hilly roads, dodging cliffs and edges, each sun's rays through the trees on chilly winter mornings were filled with so much positivity.
• I have never felt so peaceful when I was lying on the water boat which was travelling through the calm backwaters under the shadows of coconut and mangrove trees
• Whenever we were crossing some food joint, the aroma of Kerala spice blends were welcoming our ophthalmic senses, cheering us to hit the road further!
• When we were touring through the green hilly meadows and tea gardens, I could feel the change in myself, I would not have experienced all these moments with that level of happiness if it was the Older Me.

I am really grateful to me, that I decided to go for the trip, where I can understand my growth after therapy and how I worked on myself!