Blankscape

Some trips aren’t planned. They just happen. Out of a need to breathe, to pause, to escape from the weight of everyday reality. That’s exactly how Kasauli happened for me, an impromptu solo expedition that I didn’t know I needed until I was already on my way.
Just two and a half days in a small Himachali town, with strangers for company, yet in many ways, it felt like the most personal journey of my life. Trekking, café hopping, quiet walks, and endless conversations with myself…it was a weekend of fun, adventure, and memories that somehow stitched a peace back into me.

Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets!

Oscar Wilde

It all began on a day when life felt unbearably heavy. Scrolling aimlessly, I stumbled upon an advertisement from Himachal Tourism. The idea struck like lightning; maybe I needed to be away for a while. I had always thought of taking a solo trip someday, not necessarily to the mountains, but somewhere quiet, countryside-like, where time moves slower.

So I asked for permission at home; being raised in an Indian household, I was expecting some questions and resistance, but surprisingly, none came. Maybe my family saw in me what I hadn’t said out loud, that I needed to live a little, on my own terms, without fear or judgment. And just like that, tickets were booked.

The moment I arrived, I felt alive. The weather welcomed me with misty roads, mountains wrapped in clouds, and the smell of wet leaves. It rained endlessly, but instead of dampening the mood, it added a charm…like nature that wanted me to slow down. There was something magical about sitting in a café with a steaming plate of maggie while the rain tapped against the windows, or about running for shelter when the skies suddenly opened up. Food tasted better, conversations flowed easier, and the world felt gentler.

I used to follow all these travel vloggers who’d go about the entire globe, solo. I always questioned, what’s the hype about solo travelling? Do people not get bored? After a certain point, you do need company; you do need somebody to talk to. Until I recently came across the idea of the “solo table theory,” which said you don’t need company to enjoy a meal, a view, or even life itself. You sit with your own thoughts, watch the world pass by, and realize that your presence is enough.

Kasauli became that solo table for me. I learned patience on the Gilbert Trail, where an early morning trek revealed misty valleys and silence so deep it felt like a prayer. I learned courage walking back to my hotel at 8:30 p.m., with tall trees on one side, rocks on the other, and no streetlights in sight! Scary yet strangely liberating.
I learned joy in the simplest things, like sipping kulhad chai while a stray dog, Tingu, chose to sit beside me like an old friend, or talking to locals who narrated little stories of the place. Wandering through the bustling market and pausing in the quiet of Kasauli’s historic church and monastery.

Kasauli, on the surface, is like any other hill station, with quiet streets, old bakeries, and markets buzzing with tourists. But for me, it became a mirror. It reminded me that there’s more to life than 9-to-5 routines, office politics, and endless responsibilities.

Travel, especially solo travel, heals in ways that nothing else can. It teaches you to embrace solitude, to find comfort in uncertainty, to welcome strangers as friends, and to listen to your own heart without the noise of the world.
When I left Kasauli, I didn’t just carry back pictures or souvenirs. I carried back a lighter heart, a calmer mind, and a fresh perspective.

Because sometimes, you don’t take a trip just to see a new place…..you take it to meet yourself again.