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 I Won’t Change Any Book’s Ending

    Why I Won’t Change Any Book’s Ending

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    If you could rewrite any book’s ending, which one would you choose?

    Given the chance, I won’t rewrite the ending of any book. I respect the author’s view and the story he built after considerable research and time. Writers spend years coming up with the story, and it’s a privilege to read it. Maybe the ending doesn’t satisfy me, but it could be a perfect ending for other readers. What I think would make a good ending might even make it worse for other readers.

    So I won’t change any book endings, but there is one book I regret reading. I struggled a lot to complete it. I took almost 5 months to complete this masterpiece – Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

    My review on good reads-

    “Ahh! Finally, I was able to finish it- my longest read ever. It took 5 months (that too in lockdown), and it was forced since I don’t leave any book unfinished.


    I really don’t know what to write about it; it is considered a classic, for what reasons, only god knows. I borrowed it from my sister and soon regretted it after going through a few chapters.
    The story is about a man who has a great interest in nymphs; he marries a lady since he had a crush on her daughter. He gets what he wishes for; his wife dies after discovering his extra-curricular activities, and he gets custody of his love – Lolita. From here starts his lust story, which is so difficult to read that I used to skip the book, especially on Monday (my religious fast), so as not to corrupt my mind.


    It’s not actually pornographic or erotic but immoral for sure. But the definition of immorality varies from person to person. One thing I could feel was that his love for his step-daughter (still inappropriate for me) was somehow real.
    This book was banned for its inappropriate subject matter, but I feel we should not ban any work; every creative work is art. It’s up to the readers whether they like it or not.
    At last, I won’t recommend it to anyone; it’s better to be away from this.”

    It is considered a classic; that’s the reason it landed on my shelf. Did I like it? No. I needed cleansing after reading it. But again, I don’t hate the author or want to change anything. It’s his story, his opinion, his work, and I respect it. It’s just that it was never for me.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • Exploring the Garden of the Gods: A Scenic Colorado Gem

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    In continuation of our Colorado series, today we will sneak peek into Garden of the Gods. When we first visited Colorado (RMNP) in year 2018, heard …

    Great Garden of the Gods
  • The Power of Risk-Taking in Pursuing Dreams

    The Power of Risk-Taking in Pursuing Dreams

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    What’s your biggest dream?

    My biggest dream is to be financially independent before I turn 45. I have been in the salary trap for so long and never realized those invisible chains that are preventing me from growing. Now, for the past 2-3 years, I have been working towards a bright future where I need not depend on someone else to run my household.

    The job gives us security, but it also limits our ability to take risks and to have something of our own. I read this story somewhere recently.

    Lots of trees surrounded a lake, and there were monkeys everywhere. One day it was raining heavily, the water level was high, and monkeys were hiding in the tree bushes. With the continuous lightning and heavy rain, the water turned milky. Suddenly, there was a voice from the sky: “Whoever jumps into this water right away will turn into a man”. All the monkeys were silent and thinking when one of them jumped out and emerged as a handsome man. Everyone was surprised. One of the monkeys asked the man: “How could you make such a decision so quickly?” The man replied: “ I didn’t have anything to lose; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a man. If it would not have worked, I wouldn’t have any regret, as I would still be a monkey. I just thought What if it works and jumped into the water.”

    This story explains the power of risk-taking beautifully. Life is nothing without risks and challenges. Sometimes we miss great opportunities due to a lack of confidence, doubts, or the inability to leave our comfort zone. When you try something new, you will either be successful or fail, which will teach you how not to fail. It’s a win-win situation. The only thing is to act.

    I am working towards my goal of achieving financial independence. Have you?

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • The Power of Promise: My Long-Distance Love Story

    The Power of Promise: My Long-Distance Love Story

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    What’s a promise you made to yourself that you’ve actually kept?

    Promises are hard to keep; sometimes I really struggle to keep them. But a particular promise I made to myself and my then girlfriend and now spouse, I kept well. I am proud of that.

    We were dating back in India, and both got our H-1 B visas from our respective companies at the same time. She got the opportunity first and came to the USA, and I was going through the corporate politics.

    This long-distance relationship became frustrating mainly due to the time difference between the two countries. I didn’t want to lose our beautiful relationship, so I made a promise to her and myself that I would be with her in a year.

    How? I had no clue. I updated my profile on LinkedIn, specifying my reason for the job change. I got two offers in a month, but both employers declined to send me to the USA immediately. I didn’t lose hope, and then I got this third offer from a company that needed someone who could travel within a month. I won’t go through all the technicalities I had to go through.

    The employer kept his word and sent me to the USA within one month of my joining. The funny thing is my girlfriend roommate was very confident that I won’t be able to come as her husband was trying to come for a long time. I proved her wrong and kept the promise to my girlfriend and myself.

    This shows the power of thinking and the law of attraction. When you badly need something and put effort into it, the whole universe will help you get it. You have to believe in it.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • Dinner with Michael Schofield: A Unique Insight

    Dinner with Michael Schofield: A Unique Insight

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?

    I am not a fan of fantasy worlds like Harry Potter or Game of Thrones, or of superheroes. So as soon as I started thinking about this, I ruled them all out. I enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series, but I am not a fan of any of the characters.

    One fictional character that came to mind is Michael Schofield from the Prison Break series. I don’t binge-watch; in fact, I am the kind of guy who watches one episode a day. My spouse and I started many series together, and I was the one who was left behind, and she completed them. The Prison Break is one such series that I binge-watched.

    This character impressed me a lot; his silence, patience, and photographic memory were among his traits. He was a structural engineer, and the way he tattooed the blueprint of the prison was just amazing. I respect intelligence, so spending a meal with such a character would be a treat.

    I would listen to him more than speak. I would love to read his body language and understand how he sees the world. Even in our daily lives, we neglect so many things; we don’t pay attention to what’s around us. If we do that, trust me, life would be a different experience altogether.

    Now, on a different note, I am a fan of slasher movies, so if the characters don’t harm me, I would love to spend time with Art the Clown, Jason, or Freddie to understand their psychics. Frankestine would be another character who would be a delight to have dinner with. I would hear what he has to say and what he feels from Inside.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!