HarPiyTravel

When Travel Is Life!

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Harmit, Piyush, and Aayansh chase, The golden light where highways bend. A shutter captures nature’s smile, On wild trails that never end.
  • Meet Pixie: The Cat Who Chose Us

    Meet Pixie: The Cat Who Chose Us

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Share a photo of your pet and tell us one thing that makes them uniquely them.

    Our pet is a cat, and her name is Pixie. She is a darling. She is the most wonderful cat I have ever known. I am not saying it because she is our cat; she is actually a good cat.

    Her arrival at our house is by destiny. We never thought we would be adopting a cat, but it happened anyway. One of the interns in my office sent an email about some sheltered cats waiting to be adopted.

    I asked Harmit whether we should give the cat a home. We met with that intern, and without much thought, we welcomed Pixie to our home. You know what she was destined to be at your house; the previous owner had a cat too, so we already had cat entry/exit doors in our main bedroom and basement.

    Now she is a family member, and I call her my beti (daughter). Whenever I come home from the office, she loves me for a long time, and that’s a great stress relief. She sleeps with us and is friendly with everyone, including our guests. There hasn’t been a single episode where she scratched my boy or any other guests.

    She understands us very well, including our Hindi. These days, she has this new thing where she goes to our backyard and chases rabbits and birds. She is a peaceful, quiet, and understanding cat. We are blessed to have her.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • Life-Changing Advice: What I Learned from My Dad

    Life-Changing Advice: What I Learned from My Dad

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

    These days, everyone is ready to give you advice; everyone is a genius and has their own theory about success, parenting, health, nutrition, and all such areas. And that too when they are not experts in those areas. But someone in your life gives you life-changing advice, either from their life experiences or their expertise.

    I believe in listening to everyone, but do what you truly believe in. There is this flood of information floating around us; we need to maintain our sanity without being influenced by it. We have to use our wisdom before implementing anything. These days, everyone is a life coach and health coach.

    The best piece of advice came from my dad. It wasn’t a direct one, but he told me many times, indirectly, to be grateful to God for the life I have. And over time, I realized there are so many out there more talented than me, more deserving than me, who are still struggling for some reason. I am grateful to have a successful career, a beautiful wife, an amazing boy, a supportive family, and Almighty God with me.

    I make sure to show my gratitude to God and Mother Nature for the life I have. When multiple factors align, we reach our goals. Don’t take too much pride in yourself; be humble and respect everyone.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • Overcoming Worries: My Journey to Confidence

    Overcoming Worries: My Journey to Confidence

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    What’s something you used to worry about but don’t anymore?

    This question is very thought-provoking. There are so many things in life that I used to worry about, but over the years I’ve achieved some of them and gained enough maturity not to worry about the things I don’t own yet. Instead, I work towards achieving them.

    Thinking back, I used to worry a lot about how my career would shape up. I am epileptic and used to have those fits very regularly. My worst episodes were during my master’s, and they also had a major negative impact on my memory.

    That time, it was unthinkable to have a great career, a great wife, and a wonderful son. Forget the USA; coming out of my hometown, Mathura (U.P.), India itself was a big thing for me. It was hard to think about a solid career and having a family.

    My parents supported me like anything and gave me hope of a bright future. We tried multiple treatments and then finally found a working solution at Max Hospital, Delhi, India. The treatment brought me back to normalcy. I still take medicines for epilepsy, and it’s been more than 10 years since my last episode.

    Thanks to my parents for supporting me, thanks to my wife for choosing me despite my imperfections, and to God, who showed me this phase that sparked my spiritual awakening and made me stronger.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • The Importance of Personal Freedom in Life Choices

    The Importance of Personal Freedom in Life Choices

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    What’s a quote that perfectly describes your outlook on life?

    There is a famous quote, “live and let live,” which correctly describes my outlook on life. These days, everyone is giving gyaan (lecture) on what to eat, what not to eat, how to live, when to wake up, when to sleep, and the list goes on. But people are not stupid, they know exactly what to do with their life.

    Giving a lecture to a smoker about the side effects of smoking or to an alcoholic about alcohol is not needed; everyone knows what is best for them unless they are dumb. I think the suggestions and advice should only be given when they are asked.

    Also, forcing someone to act in a specific way is like a crime. For instance, I don’t know about other cultures, but in Indian culture, we impose lots of food restrictions on our kids. I personally think food is very sacred. Why we work, how we look, how our health is, how our moods and energy are- everything depends on the food we consume. To run this body, we need food; shouldn’t that be the choice of the person who is consuming it?

    In indian culture, if a parent is vegetarian, he will make sure his kid remains vegetarian, ignoring his personal choice. They tie this wish to their emotions, resulting in the unnecessary stacking of lies the kid has to tell them to consume non-vegetarian food. Let the person decide what he wants to eat.

    Similarly, everyone should be able to choose whatever religion he wants to follow. Whether he is an atheist or a theist, it’s just a personal preference. No one should be forced to act in a certain way. Life is given once; everyone should live it the way they want, but of course within the limits of social norms, without knowingly offending anyone.

    In short – Live and Let Live

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • Bucket List: 10 Incredible Places to Travel

    Bucket List: 10 Incredible Places to Travel

    Reading Time: 5 minutes
    Daily writing prompt
    What are your top 10 travel destinations?
    View all responses

    It’s no secret that we love traveling, and if we don’t go on a road trip for a couple of months, we feel uneasy. Over the years, we’ve explored many places in the USA, especially national parks. India has its own fair share, too. There are some places we go to multiple times, like Colorado, and some we wish to go to again. Here are our top 10 travel destinations so far.

    1. Maldives: It’s the most amazing and beautiful place to enjoy a comfortable, luxurious vacation. I remember this is the only place where we didn’t do much activity, just chilled out. We stayed in a water villa, enjoyed the luxury of our resort, went snorkeling, played video games, walked on the beach, had a candlelit dinner, and had a special couples’ Thai massage. It’s not that expensive either. In our opinion, everyone should go to the Maldives at least once in their lifetime.
    2. Niagara Falls, USA: Niagara Falls is so mesmerizing that you’ll want to visit again. I remember when we first visited the falls, we felt special to see this nature’s gift to humanity. From then on, we made multiple visits to Niagara. Whenever we are in New Jersey, we don’t miss a chance to visit this place. Again, this is something everyone must visit once in their lifetime.
    3. Yellowstone National Park, USA: Do you know it’s the first national park in the world? Before visiting, we heard about it and knew it was an active volcano and all. We had this image of a mountain emitting lava, but OMG, this place is so different from what we imagined. Firstly, the place is so huge that it is covered in 3 states – Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana and it has 5 entrances. It is unique for its geysers, mudpots, hot springs, diverse wildlife, and unmatched beauty. If you haven’t visited the park yet, you are missing something.
    4. Branson, Missouri, USA: Branson is a perfect place for family entertainment. It’s about a 6-hour drive from where we live. We have made at least 4 to 5 trips there so far. The city is a great entertainment center, and it keeps on adding new attractions. To name a few: the Titanic museum, Believe It or Not museum, Hollywood wax museum, car museum, aquarium at the boardwalk, Branson Landing, Upside Down, Silver Dollar City, Table Rock, and so many more. Your kids will love you for the trip. It has all kinds of entertainment, including a theater.
    5. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA: Our first national park and first road trip in the USA. It has a special place in our hearts; we were newlyweds, and that trip to the park in 2017 was memorable. Since then, we have been to the park multiple times. We have explored both sides of the park: Estes Park and Grand Lake. The park is among the most popular ones in the USA and is known for its rich wildlife and unmatched beauty. The visitor center itself sits at an elevation of 11796 feet above sea level, which is the highest in the entire national park system.
    6. Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming, USA: This park is often overlooked because of its proximity to Yellowstone National Park. It happened to us as well; when we first visited Yellowstone, we skipped this park thinking it would be pretty much the same. But in reality, it’s among the most beautiful parks. The park is very small and can be covered easily. What makes it unique is its snow-clad mountains, lakes, wildlife, and picturesque scenery. An interesting fact is that it’s the only park that has an airport in it. You don’t wanna miss it.
    7. Glacier National Park, Montana, USA: This national park is as beautiful as any other on the list. We visited this park two years ago, and it was an unforgettable experience. The park has untouched beauty; the mountains and lakes are so pristine. If you camp there, you can also see the Milky Way at night. Words fall short of describing the beauty of this park. We also spotted a black bear during our visit; we did a 9-mile hike to the glacier.
    8. Uttarakhand, India: Uttarakhand is like a jewel in India’s unique beauty. India has countless tourist destinations like Agra, Mathura, Delhi, Kerala, Mumbai, Leh Ladakh, and so on; what stuck with me was the beauty of Uttarakhand. We visited this place as a boys’ trip when I was working in India. Those pictures are still fresh in my mind. There are so many places to explore there and so many activities to do. Needless to mention the delicious food. Hrishikesh, Haridwar, Lakshman Jhoola, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Mussoorie, Flower Valley, Hemkund Sahib, to name a few. It’s like heaven on earth.
    9. Chicago, USA: We are not fans of visiting cities and their downtowns. We find peace in nature. Chicago is the only place where we have been multiple times, and it always feels good. The city has so much to offer, specifically its downtown area. There are so many things to see and do. The city has great architecture and a rich history. The Chicago downtown offers Skydeck, Navy Pier, boat architecture tours, millenieum park, 360 Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, the Science Museum, and the Field Museum. The architecture of the city itself is enough to capture you.
    10. Ouray, Colorado, USA: This place is known as the Switzerland of America. The place was part of my recent boys’ trip. The town is very small, but it’s beautiful. We went in summer so that we couldn’t see a snow-clad town, but we could imagine why it is known as the Switzerland of America. There is also the famous Million Dollar Highway, which connects this town to Silverthorne. My next goal is to explore this town with Harmit again.

    Here are the pictures from each place in the order they are mentioned

    How many places on this list have you visited so far, or are you planning to visit?

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!