This blog is about a weekend when one of the most adventurous trips of my life happened.
I stayed in Kerala (Trivandrum) for two years for work, as I mentioned in my blog (Here’s Why I Love Sudden Plans: Sudden Plans Are the Best). Those two years were filled with so many emotions and experiences. But let’s not talk about that now; I have something more fun to share with you all.
We were five girls, who used to stay together and do all sorts of funny things to eliminate sadness and boredom from our lives. We were like a family, and shared a bond I never expected to have.”
There were very few times during long weekends when we all stayed together in the flat because, most of the time, one or two of us would go to our hometowns or travel elsewhere. But that Saturday, all five of us were together, having a nice conversation about what to do that day and what to cook. Suddenly, the topic shifted to, ‘Can we go somewhere nearby?’—and that was it. That one suggestion was enough for the five of us to start thinking and rethinking about all the destinations near and far from Trivandrum.
After two hours of searching and checking train and bus tickets, we were about to give up. Then, someone came up with the idea of kayaking in Alappuzha. That immediately caught our attention, and we started discussing which kayaking spot would be the best, where to call, and which option would be budget-friendly. Yet, we still had no idea how to get there.
I was in a love-and-hate situation with that idea:
I used to think I was very brave and that adventure was what excited me the most. It was not all wrong, but water is what I fear the most because I don’t know how to swim. The idea of kayaking made me anxious, but I couldn’t express my worry because I was excited too at the same time.
I wanted to do it, yet at the same time, I didn’t want to. What if I drowned? And then, who would write travel blogs about it later? All these very practical thoughts were running through my mind.
Eventually, we finalized the kayaking plan and found out that we had to reach the kayaking destination in Alappuzha by 5:00 AM the next day (Sunday). So, we finally managed to get a bus ticket for that night at 2:00 AM to make sure we reached on time.
That unforgettable journey:
We started walking from our flat around 1:15 AM because the main road, where our bus would arrive, was quite far. With no vehicles available, we had to walk nearly 2.5 km in the middle of the night.
Finally, with a lot of music and courage, we made it to the main road and caught the bus. But what followed was a journey that felt never-ending. The Google Maps directions seemed infinite. So, amidst all the excitement, I decided to sleep and give myself a little break from overthinking what was going to happen next.
By the time we reached our destination around 5:30 AM, it was completely dark. There was barely anybody on the road. Doubt started creeping in—had we made a mistake? We didn’t know exactly where to go, and whether the person we were supposed to meet would pick up our call and come to receive us. What if he didn’t show up? Then what?
But, thankfully, after a little wait, we finally met him. That moment brought a huge sense of relief for all five of us—we knew this was really happening, and we were about to experience something amazing.
Chaos on Kayak:
After entering the place, we saw a narrow stream that was flowing behind, which was connected to the main backwaters of Alappuzha. I was amazed by the view and was getting ready to experience the unexpected.
My friend Sudu was so excited and confident that she could sit in the kayak and have all the fun—no fear of drowning was visible on her face. My other three friends Archa, Bhagya and Abhi also felt the same. Then there was me, getting scared by their excitement and reconsidering my decision—should I go kayaking or just let them enjoy themselves while I head back? What If I can’t keep pace with them?
I was pretty sure that if I did solo kayaking, my anxiety could hit me hard anytime, making me go in any direction—or, in the worst case, I might even drown. So, I finally told them about my thoughts and my fear of water. Luckily, my friend Abhi was convinced to come with me. She wasn’t as scared as I was, but she could relate to my situation a little, so we decided to take a double kayak.
That day, when we first sat on the kayak, I just couldn’t believe it—we were actually about to paddle 7 km through the backwaters with our team and guide!
The moment we started, it was absolute chaos. We had no idea how to follow the instructions our guide had given us. We were completely clueless about how to coordinate our paddling, so instead of moving forward, we were just floating around like two confused souls. It was both terrifying and hilarious at the same time.
Abhi and I were laughing so hard at our ridiculousness. Half the time, we just ended up paddling in place, spinning in circles instead of moving forward. In the other half, we were getting stuck in the floating water hyacinth jungle, fighting for our freedom like we were in some kind of survival show. Our friends were also in the same situation, which somehow made it even funnier. But weirdly enough, amidst all the chaos, I started forgetting that I was doing this in deep water—the same deep water that could swallow me whole though we had our life jackets with us.
But, I have to praise the patience of the person who was guiding us throughout this hilarious mess. He stayed super calm and cooperative throughout. Every time we got stuck (which, let’s be honest, was a lot), he would paddle back to rescue us. Whether it was the wind pushing us in the wrong direction or a giant boat heading straight toward us, he was always there, cheering us on and making sure we didn’t completely lose hope.
That ending was not so messy though:
From that day onwards, I truly started believing the fact, that if we want to achieve something we can truly do that. We have the potential, but most of the time, fear of struggle holds us back before we even try. Especially, I overthink a lot sometimes, and I don’t get to enjoy the process.
But during that kayaking trip, when Abhi and I were struggling to move forward, we kept talking, figuring out strategies, and trying different ways to fix our mess. At first, nothing worked. But eventually, we gave ourselves time to match each other’s rhythm.
Once we got the proper rhythm, we started moving forward—right alongside the rest of the group! That moment felt incredible. We went from pure chaos to actually enjoying the process, and by the time we reached back, we were full of excitement and happiness.
Looking back, I still can’t believe how much progress we made. And to my surprise, I even considered going kayaking again. Because the whole experience—the landscapes, the water, the people, the wind—was completely worth it.
If you’re reading my travel blog, here’s what I want to tell you: Sometimes, we get so exhausted by negative thoughts that we discourage ourselves before even starting. Not only while travelling do we face these situations but in real life also we get to see so many difficulties that feels like impossible to live with. But this experience taught me that instead of worrying about an unknown outcome, we should focus on the present and just take the next step. The results might surprise us.
This is why I travel. Whether it’s near or far, stepping out of my comfort zone and creating memories is an experience like no other. I don’t miss a chance to explore as travel brings motion to my life giving me positivity and motivation at the same time.
