The “We Need a Break” Phase
I have been so done with work lately. Not the dramatic burnout kind, just that constant irritation where everything feels repetitive and exhausting. So I decided I needed a break. And I actually took one—with my friends—and we went to Rishikesh.
An absolutely chaotic trip, like always. 😂
Initially, I wanted to go to Dehradun. But after discussing it with my besties, we settled on Rishikesh. The plan was simple… at least in theory.
The Planning That Wasn’t Really Planning
We had train tickets booked. Of course, they didn’t get confirmed.
Classic. 🙃
So on the 10th, one day before the trip, we booked bus tickets instead. Very last minute, very on brand for us.
I went to my friend’s place that night so we could leave together in the morning. We barely slept. Just talked, laughed, and somehow made everything louder than it needed to be.
The Journey That Took Forever
We woke up at 5:00 am, got ready, and left for our 6:00 am bus.
We were excited. Like genuinely happy to just get out of our routine.
The plan was to reach it in 4 hours.
We reached at 2 pm.
I don’t even want to explain how.
And then it took us hours to get to our hotel. By that point, we were exhausted, irritated, and honestly questioning our life choices.
The Café Disaster
Before going to the hotel, we decided to sit at a café and eat something.
Bad decision.
The place looked decent, but the drinks? Literal water. No taste. Nothing. And we spent 700+ on that.
I was this close🤏🏻 to crying.
The only redeeming part of that entire experience was a cat that came and quietly sat under my chair. I love cats. That moment alone made me slightly less angry.
Day One: Not Our Day
We finally reached the hotel around 5 pm, completely drained. Took a bath, thinking maybe things would get better.
And then… I got my period. 👏🏻
Perfect timing, obviously.
At that point, I had officially given up on the idea of a “peaceful, relaxing trip.” April 11th was just not our day.
The Calm We Didn’t Expect
We wanted to attend Ganga Aarti that evening, but we were late. So instead, we just sat on the steps near the Ganga. 🌊
And weirdly, that turned out to be one of the best parts of the day.
It was calm. Quiet. No chaos. Just us sitting there, doing nothing for once. We made silent wishes, watched the water, noticed small things like fish swimming by.
It felt… grounding.
We had dinner after that and went back to the hotel. Somehow, despite everything, the night turned fun. We danced, took pictures, and made videos. The day started terribly, but we still found a way to end it well.
Day Two: Finally Feels Like a Trip
We woke up early, around 6–7 am, and went for breakfast. After that, we got ready and decided to explore.
We wanted to go to Neelkanth Temple, but it was too far. So we went to Parmarth Niketan Ashram instead.
And honestly, that place was beautiful.
There was a sense of peace there that you don’t really find easily. Temples, idols, everything felt calm and structured. And then we saw the Shiv ji murti in the middle of the Ganga.
It was stunning.
I even FaceTimed my mom just to show her.
My friend R went all in and actually got into the Ganga. Me and B stayed out—me because I literally can’t, and her because she just didn’t want to.
River Rafting (The Highlight)
After that, we decided to go river rafting.
Me and R were in. B was not.
So she went off on her own little exploration while we went for rafting.
The journey there was long, the wait time was annoying, and the place was crowded. Rishikesh was packed.
But rafting?
Completely worth it.
It was one of those moments where you stop thinking about everything else. Just the river, the mountains, the cold water, the rush.
I honestly didn’t want it to end.
The only downside? The random group of boys we were paired with. Completely mannerless. Ruined the vibe a bit, but thankfully not enough to ruin the experience.
I wanted to jump into the water so badly… but I don’t know how to swim, so that dream stayed a dream.
A Slower Evening
After rafting, we were soaked and tired. So we grabbed something to eat and went back to the hotel to freshen up.
Dinner was simple—South Indian food because we needed something light after the chaos of the day.
Then chai, of course.
We wanted to do something fun that night since it was our last one, but honestly, we were too tired. Took a few pictures, made a couple of videos, and just slept.
No energy left.
The Early Goodbye
The next morning, we woke up at 5:00 am, got ready, and left for home.
No drama. No chaos. Just quiet.
The Kind of Trip It Was
Overall, it was a great trip. We weren’t able to see a lot, as it was too crowded and there was a lot of wait time, and wasted hours, due to traffic.
Messy, unplanned, slightly frustrating—but still great.
We didn’t plan properly. Things went wrong. We were tired half the time.
But we also laughed a lot, experienced new things, and had moments that actually felt peaceful and real.
And somehow, that balance made it worth it.
Next trip: Dehradun. 😁
This time… we’re definitely planning better.
(Or at least pretending we will.)
Let me know your thoughts below! 👇💕
P.S. Currently, I am working on a new story, will be updating the first chapter in a few hours.
I hope you all like it. 😊
