Well, is it too late to write about my backpacking endeavor which happened to start the day I quit my job? I can’t express how relieved I felt when those positive thoughts gushed into me back then.

It was 16th March 2016, 06:00 am. I had packed my rucksack light. It was in my mind that this time I would meet more travelers than I did last time. I landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi and traveled overnight in a bus to Rishikesh - one of the holiest and most serene places where I have always wanted to go back to (and even thought of settling down at!). It was 4’0 clock in the morning when I arrived at Rishikesh after an encounter with Tanisha in the bus; Tanisha - who wished to travel by herself but whose mom wouldn’t agree to her whims and fancies. Nevertheless, we shared a bulk load of secrets and honest confessions regardless of her mom sitting few seats away from ours.

The weather was chilly, and me being my ignorant self, I was not prepared for this. I was shivering and had a lot going through my mind instead of bothering to not get sick. I took a tuk-tuk which dropped me in the vicinity of Laxman Jhula at about 6 in the morning. At that odd hour, I was all by myself strolling around. It was then that I realized that my mom was right when she said to me, "sometimes you walk around like a ghost!". And now I know I won't invite myself on board to argue with her on this matter! 😀

The very next day we decided to go for rafting. Every single one of us was pretty excited about it. Arya and Lewis were already high and not mentally strong enough to hold their paddles. So Tyler and I had to sit up front in the raft, which I was a little skeptical about. Last time when I did rafting, I insisted on sitting at the back, but here things were different! I was a bit paranoid about the situation because I was aware of the consequences of sitting in the front. We did finish it successfully, though we were not so much appreciated by our lead 😛

Fast forward to the excerpts from the events next day, when we woke up after 12-14 long hours of sleep and spilling beans from unstitched bean bags all over the hostel. It was chaos.

Tyler and I kept on having masala tea until we could make ourselves feel normal. Afterward, we were riding a scooter and then at a blink of an eye, we skidded. We ended up laughing at each other and got up, getting cuts and bruises. For the record, I had two minor accidents at Rishikesh of which one I mentioned already and the other - let that just be in my journal for now. I enjoyed both of them, though.

My Recommendations to Stay, Eat and Explore

• Shiv Shakti Hostel, Zostel  (Stay)
• Freedom Cafe, Royal View Cafe, German Bakery and Buddha Cafe (Brunch)
• Water Fall at Shivpuri, Hire a Bike/Scooter, Rafting, Bungee Jumping by JumpinHeights (Just Adventurous Things)