My First Journey in a Luxury Train in India

Traveling in trains in India is no less than a luxury, and you have to be quite bold to do that, at least alone as a women. I had heard quite a few nasty stories about solo woman travel in regular trains, so I thought of going by a luxury train called Shatabdi Express since it was my first time in the trains. It was early in the morning. Like everybody else, I was eagerly waiting for the snacks and food that are served in the train.

I was fortunate to have two elderly ladies on my both sides of seat. They were busy in their world, and so was I. I started reading a book and the music on my phone was not so pleasing, yet I had no other option. I listened to it for a while, and removed the earphones only when the first serving of snacks arrived at the time of morning tea.

The morning tea

The lady on my right and I made the tea with tea bags and milk, and gulped down our favorite drink in the morning. The lady on the left did not feel like having tea, so she took the biscuits and kept the biscuits in her bag.

The morning snacks

The next set of snacks was interesting comprising cutlets, eggs, bread, and butter. I gobble down everything in just a few seconds while paying a little attention to what my kind neighbors are doing. The lady on the right also ate the snacks, except the eggs. The woman on the left kept everything in her bag again; maybe she did not feel hungry at all. And like every other Indian, she would keep everything in her bag rather than refusing it altogether.

The soup

Two hours later, we received the next serving of soup, which I shamelessly finished again as I like to have tomato soup any time during the day. I noticed the two ladies on my sides and both of them did not drink the soup. The one on the right refused to take the serving, and the one on the left took only soup sticks and kept them in her bag again. Maybe she ate one cutlet during that time; I am not sure.

The last meal  

Just before the train reached Bangalore, we were served lunch. Without saying much, let us say that I ate and the lady on the left kept everything again in a lunch box in her bag.

Then, she called someone and said, “Beta, have you brought car hire in Bangalore? I am arriving the station in half an hour. When will you come?

I felt so small in that moment of pure selflessness that this lady had for her son, who must be an adult as he was coming to pick her up. She did not eat anything at all just because she wanted to share everything she had got with someone.

Only Indian moms can do it!

Why it is Fine not to Travel Alone

I have a problem, a problem with solo travelers who think so high of themselves and belittle non-solo travelers. I have traveled alone to a few places, loved my secluded time, but that does not mean that I would want to indulge in solo travel every time. Solo travel is not the sole best way to travel. I have seen many solo travelers bragging about their experiences, and they make sure that they make other people feel like they are missing something in life if they do not go to place alone. Many experiences in life are unique, but that does not mean that everyone should indulge in them to attain nirvana!

Many people, for example, would never think about scaling the Mount Everest. Does that mean that their life is incomplete?

Never!

I have not done bungee jumping yet, but I do not consider myself any less of a traveler. I am a mountain-trekker at heart, a sleeping buddy at the beach, and a random person on the streets of the world. I love to wander around places all alone, but that is because I have a personality like that. I like to be on my own. I like the space solo travel gives me, but I never brag about it. I hate promoting the notion that I am, in any way, superior to others. When I started solo travel, I had no idea that it would become the coolest thing on social media. I had never even thought about it. It was just more convenient for me to go around alone than wait for people to accompany me. However, I love traveling with people whenever we can make a plan.

Traveling with family

Whenever I go out with my family, I love the time I spend with them. Even if it is a short weekend getaway, I make sure to be with them. As they say, “We owe our life to our parents.” I feel the same obligation, as well as, love towards them. My parents and siblings are a cool set of people; they do not bore me at all. That is why; I love their company even if I have to go to a place like Thailand where other people would not even think about going with a family.

The spirit of travel

I don’t let anyone judge me for what I do. I have the adventurous spirit in me and the curiosity to explore places. I have the freedom to do things I like, be at places I dream about, and be with people I like. Then why on earth, I should not visit places with people. Personally saying, I get bored of my company sometimes. That is when I like to be with friends or family.

Solo travel may be fun sometimes, but not always. When the Self-Drive Cars in Bangalore were launched, I wanted to go for a road trip, but not alone. So I called two of my friends and convinced them to accompany me to Coorg. I got to drive an SUV for the first time, and I had a blast for sure. I, sometimes fall short of words when I comes to explaining my feelings to anyone. Friends are an awesome gift from God.

People are often educative, so are my friends. I love talking while driving or trekking, maybe about politics, education, country, or any random thing in the world. However, I make sure that I talk witt informative people. Many travel buddies have given me unforgettable memories, which would never have been possible if I were alone.