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.

Why Reading Changed My Life: Insights and Recommendations

July 11, 2026
Reading Time: 2 minutes
What’s one habit that has improved your life the most?

One habit that has improved my life the most is reading. I used to read back in my college days, and then my priorities changed. Initially, I was focused on getting a job, which was hard in 2010, as the effects of the recession were still there. Once I got the job, I was occupied in learning my work and gaining the needed technical knowledge.

When I came to the USA in 2016, I found the perfect work-life balance. For the first time since 2010, I got personal time on a normal weekday. Otherwise, the only time I got was on weekends. I started biking, walking, and going to the gym in my free time. My elder sister read a lot, and she suggested that I start reading again.

On her advice, I took up this hobby again, and soon I started to love reading. Over the years, I have read lots of books, and I am not a fan of particular genres; I love reading. I read fiction, nonfiction, horror, thriller, sci-fi, spiritual, self-help, philosophy and classics. I think only genre I never explored is poetry.

I read Kafka, Premchand, Manto, Debdutta Pattanaik, Chaturasen, Orwell, Grisham, Stephan King, H. G. Wells, J.K. Rowling, and so many other brilliant authors. I feel blessed to read their work.

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” — George R.R. Martin

This quote by R.R. Martin is so accurate, by reading you live so many lives. Reading is so amazing that you live someone’s years of experience and work in a few sittings. You live that work with your own imagination, and you get wiser and more mature with each book you complete.

I honestly feel bad for those who don’t read because they don’t know what they are missing. This is the most wonderful gift from one human being to another. Whatever maturity and wisdom I attained so far, these books play a vital role in it.

Few books I would like to mention
Currently, I am reading “The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden after watching the movie adaptation on the flight last month. If you love reading, I would appreciate some good book suggestions.

Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!
Overcoming Life’s Hard Years: A Personal Journey

July 10, 2026

Reading Time: 3 minutes
What’s a chapter of your life you’d title “The Hard Years” — and what got you through it?

Whether you like it or not, everyone has to go through those hard years. But such years make you stronger emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

How it started:-

The first such block of years came when I was doing my BSc in my hometown. I still remember I was explaining a C program to my friend under a tree in the garden of my college, and the next thing I know is I am in a hospital with a faint memory of the past. My parents were in the hospital, and I got to know that I had just fallen on the ground while talking to my friend. After I was discharged from the hospital, these incidents became routine.

Most of my BSc got impacted due to these incidents. The doctor prescribed a medicine which didn’t suit me, and I was drowsy most of the time. The cost I paid was my first year percentage was 64%, thus my total Bsc percentage came down below 75%. I refused to go ahead with the medication.

Trials and Treatments:-

We tried all other kinds of treatments. Someone told us I had hookworms in my head, which come from the Hand-pump water, so the remedy was to drink hookworm water to kill them. My dad arranged hookah water from some remote village, and that water was my worst nightmare. I used to have it at the start of the day every day. It was so awful that I could sense it from a distance whenever my father gave me a teaspoon of it.

We also tried the “jhada” from a saint to ward off evil eyes. We also went to a local vaidya to get the remedy, as well as to a Muslim pir. Later on, we got to know that I have epilepsy, which is famous as “Mirgi” in India. These fits had become a part of my life now; I used to fall anywhere, risking my life and troubling others. My parents were worried about my future, and so was I. Thanks to them, they didn’t restrict me to my town and sent me to pursue my master’s.

I had identical episodes in my master’s. I was the topper of my batch, but I had clear instructions not to read at night and not to take stress. There were countless times when I just fell at the college campus or in the classroom, and I had no idea about my future. In such a condition, what can you do or achieve?

Fix:-

No treatment has been able to fix this problem so far. I completed my master’s and left the hostel. During the job hunt, my friend’s brother’s friend told me that he had the same issue and was not able to marry as well, and now he is living a normal life after the treatment. I got the doctor’s details, and during the first consultation only, he provided a solution to this problem. Now I am leading a normal life with the same medicine, which is now a routine medicine for me, and it’s been like 12-14 years since my last fit.

Conclusion:-

These were the darkest years of my life. I heard about my parents weeping for my condition and asking god to punish them instead of me. That was disheartening. All these episodes had a great impact on my memory. In my college, I was famous for the name “STML- Short Term Memory Loss”. I could never have imagined the life I am living today. I lost confidence, memory, faith, hope, and everything. But spiritually, I grew a lot during that time. I used to go to Vrindavan every week, which started my spiritual journey.

All those hurdles made me stronger. My belief in god grew stronger, and I started valuing my health. I had the love and support of my parents, and to date, I am thankful for their love and trust. They are the reason I am who I am today.

Second phase of hard years:-

Now my dad needs me just like I did in my college days. He is 70 and suffering from stage 4 lung cancer. Cancer affects not only the patient but also the whole family. Since last year, February, his treatment has been going on. He is never the same; we have seen his worst form during these years. He used to be the most polite person I have ever known, very sharp, and had a good memory. His personality just changed. It feels so sad to see him in such a helpless condition. But he will go through it, I am there for him, just like he was for me.

Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!
Living in Colorado: The Ultimate Nature Lover’s Dream

July 7, 2026
Reading Time: 2 minutes
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I am turning 40 this October, and what I learned so far is that man can never get satisfied with his current situation. The famous saying “the grass is greener on the other side” sums it all.

Those who live in the mountains want to move to the city. The people in the city crave to live in the mountains. The other day, I was talking to my uncle, and he talked about his trip to Mussoorie, a hill station in India. During his trip, he got to know the locals there and how difficult their lives are. One lady in particular has to cross 2 mountains, each nearly 10 miles long, each day to reach her job as a sweeper. Also, the men in the community are unmarried, as girls prefer to marry someone from the city.

So that’s the price of living in the mountains with fewer facilities. For people from the city, mountain life looks exciting and like something to crave. On the other hand, folks born and brought up in hill stations might see city life as prosperous, but they never connect with that life when given the chance to live there.

No one is happy with their position. That being said, Colorado, USA, is my favorite place to live. I love nature and hiking. Colorado is our default place for such adventures. I have been there countless times, every year, 4-5 trips.

My recent trips(within last 2 years) to Colorado was to places:-
- Telluride, Colorado
- Ourey, Colorado
- Colorado Spring, Colorado
- Estes Park, Colorado
- Grand Lake, Colorado
- Glenwood Springs, Colorado
I am in love with Colorado, and it’s the best place to live in the USA for nature lovers. It has 4 national parks, famous ski resorts like Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge, and Telluride, mountains, lakes, forests, abundant wildlife, and a variety of adventure activities.

But again, the grass is greener on the other side.

Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!
How Chaos Can Lead to Personal Growth

July 6, 2026

Reading Time: 2 minutes
Is a little chaos actually good for us?

Just as perfection is unachievable, there is no such thing as 100% perfection. A little imperfection is actually necessary; it helps us improve, and life is all about becoming a better version of ourselves.

Just like that, chaos is an integral and unavoidable part of our lives. It’s good to plan and organize things, but we should also be aware that whatever we plan doesn’t always work the way we want. There are so many factors that create the unwanted chaos, but the chaos also shows how much we want that thing, how resilient we are, and how tolerant we are when things are not as planned.

For an athlete, failure is actually more important than success. Failure is like that strict teacher who doesn’t sugarcoat and is not liked by anyone. But once you reach your goal, you realize the importance of that teacher and his lessons. Just like that messiness, though it looks ugly, it is, in fact, a testament to your determination.

Real Life Example:-

I was working as a contractor with my previous client, and he wanted to hire me. He initiated all the paperwork; I resigned to join him, but my employer wouldn’t let me. This all happened during the Christmas season, when most companies are understaffed. Now my client wants me to sort out this mess, and the employer doesn’t want to negotiate.

Think about the situation where the two parties should have fixed it, but nothing was getting fixed. That was my worst Christmas. I felt very bad. Finally, I had to take back my resignation (I had never done this in my 15+ years in IT). I started looking outside because I lost credibility with the employer and found a good job with the current employer.

That time, it felt like I missed the best opportunity on earth, since the client was a reputable firm. But now I feel fortunate not to be part of that firm, as I was not progressing technically there and was in my comfort zone. Comfort is like that invisible shackle that tightens over time, and you don’t realize it.

So all that chaos was totally worth it, and I am glad I didn’t join that firm. The lesson learned is to accept the situation and own your decisions. I strongly believe that whatever happens is for good. Just embrace the situation and move on.

Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!
Why Following the Right Blog Can Inspire Your Journey

July 5, 2026

Reading Time: < 1 minute
Who is your favorite blogger to follow?

I follow many blogs related to photography, life experiences, and travel stories. Each blog is unique in its own way. Most of them are pretty consistent and engaging, but one blog that stands out is View from over the hill

I always loved her content, her humorous views on life, and the simplicity of her writing. For some time now, looks like she took a break and not writing actively.

That happened to me as well. After my kid was born in 2022, I didn’t get enough time to write. Now that he is around 4 years old, I have created a daily routine of writing prompts.

Now I repent; how could I not have understood the power of daily prompts, and why didn’t I utilize them before? But better late than never.

Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!