From February 11 – March 10, 2023, I fulfilled a dream of traveling to India. The first two weeks of the journey, I was with my dad, touring around Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Rishikesh. After he left, I took some time to rest and replenish at a farm near Rishikesh, then ended my journey in the chaos and wonder of Varanasi.

Two important reminders I’m carrying with me since:

Make it a priority to do a one-on-one trip with your parent(s). My mom and I did a trip to Europe in 2011. This India trip was my first one-on-one with my dad. Both experiences helped me to get to know my parents in a different context, and for them to see me in more of my wholeness. It’s a really beautiful way to make powerful new memories together.

Travel alone. As I was getting ready for this trip a friend texted me, “You’re fearless.” My response, “No I’m not. I just choose adventure over fear.” The truth is, when I’m traveling alone, I feel some degree of fear every single day. Moving through that and experiencing the incredible gifts it brings is worth every moment of anxiety.

Over the course of this journey, I took lots of video clips, which I strung together and edited down to this 13 minute compilation. Enjoy!

For loads of India photos, stories, and reflections, you can visit my travel blog here.