#bestwaystostayhealthywhiletraveling

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First Solo Backpacking To Himachal ~ Vashist, Manali, Naggar

“Arre abhi toh ayi hai beti, phir kaha jaa rahi hai?!”, the elderly uncle whom I had asked the way to my homestay exclaimed. I told him that I planned to check out the nearby village and trek to Jogni falls through the jungle. “Dhyaan se jaana aur jaldi aana, barish kabhi bhi shuru ho jaati hai yaha”. I smiled and left. These ever so kind and pure people of the hills are one of the reasons that I fell in love with the mountains. After a crazy time of shifting from Manipur to Chandigarh, setting up a new ‘fauji ghar’ and making it home, scary exam schedules of the husband, I finally made up my mind that I had to leave for the mountains to stay sane. Four months of this married life schedule and I had to run to the mountains. Don’t get me wrong from the above paragraph, I absolutely adore being married to my boy and this fauji life, but then, we all need our me time, right?! And what better way than traveling.

Trust me when I say, this is so so near Chandigarh! Do you know the best part about being posted to Chandigarh?! Other than being a beautiful city with those aesthetic cafes with exotic menu and those roadside dhabas with that finger-licking good ‘khana’ and those delicious parathas with ghee makkhan and cheese, little shopping places where you can pick up some very unique kinds of stuff and those beautiful hill stations just a stone’s throw away! It is indeed one of the best places to get posted.

The husband and I took a ride on a Sunday and in just half an hour we got this view! How lovely is it! So, when we landed in Chandigarh, the first thing I did was to check out the places nearby. And I tell you if you love exploring, the neighbor state Himachal can be a treat! And after asking around a few friends I decided I did not need to wait for anyone to start exploring this beautiful neighboring state. So, I packed my bag, caught a bus and set out.

Early morning stopovers in bus rides The Trip Begins It was around 9 am when I reached Manali and I took an auto to Vashist main temple. As a solo traveler, your first experience can always be such a confidence booster and for me, this auto ride was one. The auto wale uncle was the sweetest! I told him I needed to use a washroom on the way if it was possible and also had to get a change for my 2000INR notes to start with. He took me to a nearby public toilet which he assured would be clean and empty (and it was) and all the while he looked after my bag. After that, he took me to his friend’s bakery where he got my money changed. After that, while we headed to the destination, he was sweet enough to tell me all the local bus timings and the places that were good for solo travelers.

View from the auto - on the way to Vashist Didn’t I tell you… These people in the mountains have my heart! Vashist Once the home of the Vashist clan, this little village is famous for the temple of Guru Vashist and one of the main attractions of the temple remains the hot spring for Indians and foreigners alike.

Guru Vashist Temple! However, it was not the temple that attracted me to Vashist. A few weeks before when I was yet to decide on a place to visit for my solo trip, I received a message from my friend who has been a hippie all his life. He sent me pictures of the homestay he was in and invited me to stay for a few days. He had spent 10 years in the area and also ran a homestay in Manali a few years back. He knew every nook and corner of the place and so I thought of taking advantage of this opportunity. The auto dropped me at the main temple and the homestay was ten minutes trek uphill into the village ahead of the temple. The village is a maze and I had to ask around the locals for the correct trail leading there. Though a little confusing to reach, it was worth it!

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Dear Girls, Take That Pending Trip With Your Girlfriends

A few days ago, I was reading a travel magazine where I came across an article which said ‘Trip with girlfriends is in trend these days.’ Now if this is a trend then I would urge everyone to follow it! I don’t know about trends but a trip with your girlfriends shall turn out to be the best decision, that I can vouch for. At least my experience has been the best one and I totally wish many more to happen! Trust me when I say, going on a vacation with girlfriends is so much more than just simply having fun, they offer huge benefits. And it’s not just me but also medical science says that a trip with your girlfriends has humungous health benefits!

Studies have shown that friends help reduce stress and the risk of heart diseases. They also lower levels of stress hormone, cortisol, during negative experiences. And it is also good for the heart because the increase in cortisol means the risk of developing heart diseases. And anyway, it was long long back when science confirmed that traveling has a positive effect on health and so, it is such a win-win situation! Let me elaborate. Travel has been said to be one of the most effective means to cope with depression. It gives the individual a chance to have a change in the environment, relax and explore a different side of life. It helps refresh the mind and reduces stress. And when you combine friendship and travel, it's like making the positive effects double! So girls, just pack your bags, get hold of your girlfriends and set out for an adventure! When I read the article, I could totally relate to it and decided that I would definitely write a blog on it. So, to get an idea about how other women felt about the idea I asked around my friends and even random girls I met. Surprisingly not everyone agreed to the idea that a group of women on a vacation can be fun. Some of them had really bad experiences. I remember a friend of mine from school said, “I had gone from college and I did not enjoy going on a vacation with a bunch of girls. No one agreed on a single thing and the whole time one kept getting angry on the other and there was a lot of bitching!” While another girl I met in a café said – “Not everyone is lucky enough to find a like-minded group of girlfriends. I never did! I get a little jealous when I see a bunch of girls enjoying but my experiences have been so bad that I okay with not having gone on a trip with girlfriends.” Another friend said - “Don’t know about a group but I at least have one girlfriend who has forever been my partner in crime and we enjoy our vacations together. It’s the best time of the year!” And there were so many girls who said, “We have been planning to go on a trip for so long but first it was permission from the parents that we did not get, and now its leaves from our bosses that don’t allow us. It’s hard to get leaves all at the same time.” While there are always mixed feelings about having loyal girlfriends and going on trips with them, I loved how a lady had sent me a full story about her first trip with her gang of girls – “It’s from long back October 2007 My first ever trip with my squad to Goa. It was a school tour organized by our school St. Marys Convent School. The same evening the Dargah bomb blast took place. We had to leave via train that evening, we were 7 girls in our group. It began as it should be, rocking what we called it. We had an 8-10 day trip. *Goa* as the name itself brings a thrill to our heart. We had a lot of fun over there, but the moment that still makes us go ROFL is when one night we were standing at the balcony of our room, and some of the guys who came from DPS for the tour itself were swimming down there. We just thought that we’ll tease them. We did because you know how girls love to prank people, and our group was a pro at this. But we were unaware that it’ll turn out to be a mess. After a few minutes, our door was knocked by someone and we all were on our nerves. Shivering and horror-stricken. We didn’t have any idea what was happening, but that night, no one slept in our group, the phone was ringing continuously, but no one had the guts to pick up the call. 😄 We were discussing who should turn up the first one to open the gate and face those boys. The funniest moment of them all was when one of my friends who slept in shorts and slip said that you guys will stay safe because you are wearing the whole damn clothes, I will be the first to be their target. And we wondered how it's all going to happen. The whole night we stayed awake and prayed that soon the sun should come up. The next morning everything was back to normal. We didn’t see those boys again and we felt relieved 😅 and when we came back, we used to discuss it more often laughing at what our friend was thinking at that moment. The memories still remain fresh after so many years. But what makes it more real is how we tackled the situation at that very moment, staying united and making each other to stay normal. We did fight a lot as we stayed there for so long. But we managed to bring back things to normal. That’s what girls are for..” What a fun story and talks about the kind of bonhomie only girls can share. Another friend says – “Going on a vacation with your girlfriends can be the biggest stress buster! And with them, you are on the same page. Going with your family or your boyfriend or even husband is fine, but going on a trip with people who share the same level of craziness can only happen with your girls.” And I agree if you have a group of girls who are there for you, who are fun, who have got your back and who suffer the same mental illness as you :P  just hold them tight and do not let them go! I have a few and this post was dedicated to those wonderful soul sisters!

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Essentials To Make You Look Good And Feel Good While Traveling

Follow my blog with Bloglovin No matter how much we travel, it is always a daunting task figuring out what to carry. Be it an official trip for a day or a two-week long vacation, it's always a task deciding what would be best to carry during your travels. In the last few years, I seem to have almost mastered the packing game and maybe I would come up with a blog on the tips and tricks I follow. But for this post, I shall stick to the basic skin and hair products that are hassle-free and does the job. Let's start with something I tell everyone who is trying to achieve good skin and hair. In fact, we are all trying to achieve that and, trust me when I say again, nothing works better than drinking water! And we end up drinking less water than usual during our travels. So here’s something that I do to funk up my water -

Fruit Infuser Bottle I received this bottle as a gift and all I can say is it’s one of the best gifts I have received. A lot of you might ask, we can buy bottled water everywhere so what is the use of making your luggage heavier? Well, I have quite a few reasons for carrying your own water bottle – I do not have to buy single-use plastic water bottles. That helps me reduce my plastic waste. (A little step from our side will go a long way)I don’t have to go looking for a shop to buy drinking water everywhere I go.Saves money. I drink a lot of water and so I might end up buying a lot of bottles or just drinking less water. And if I carrying my own bottle I can refill it anytime and anywhere (every place has an aqua-guard these days.)At times drinking plain water can be boring but, if it’s flavored you actually end up drinking more. So these bottles actually helped me drink more water during my travels. Here are a few links to find a fruit infuser bottle for yourself in case you are interested - The one I am using - Fruit infuser bottle by Seniority.And a few more options - here from Amazon. The next essential not just helps you keep fresh during summers but can be helpful to remove makeup and dirt from your face, neck, and hands too.

Wet Wipes Wet wipes are something that I always keep handy in my purse no matter what the season. They are handy, useful, cheap and can be super productive while traveling. They work as an instant freshener for your face, can be used to wipe your dirty hands, can be used to remove your make-up or any sort of heavy cream. There are a number of uses of these little miracle wipes, so keep them handy! Just in case, you can find this online @Nykaa - facial wipes While there are a number of essential items to keep handy while traveling like a small flashlight, foldable rain gear(I got one from Decathlon for a very decent price and it folds into the size of a ladies wallet), a nail clipper set( buy the tiny set, so that it slips into a corner of your suitcase without taking any space), etc. But I decided to focus on the ones related to your hair and skin in this blog. And talking about self-care during travel, it is always a good idea to buy a travel bottle kit.

Empty Travel Bottle Kit Here are some tips on what to fill your travel kit with – Shampoo – When you travel it is best not to experiment too much with products. So, stick to the regular shampoo that you have been using. Changing to a new shampoo during travel might make your hair limp and dull. If you love to experiment, it’s still a good idea to keep your regular shampoo handy.Conditioner – It is a bad idea to experiment with your conditioner while traveling. A lot of the look of your hair depends on how the conditioner is suiting you. I don’t really like experimenting with my conditioner.Body Lotion – Just fill in from your regular big bottle of body lotion, so that you don’t end up buying one if the weather is too dry.Rosewater – Rose water can be really a miracle product while you travel. It works for all skin types and can be used as a toner, make-up remover or a mist. Apart from that, I prefer carrying a travel kit for my skin.

Skincare Kit At the moment I am carrying a set by Forest Essentials (review coming up soon). I first saw their products at a friend’s place. I never knew that Forest Essentials had travel size products which were decently priced if not cheap. I had picked up three products from their travel range – cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. And that pretty much sums up my minimal skincare routine during travels. And if you are looking for such combos online... Nykaa has some good options. But my skincare is incomplete without a sunscreen lotion!

Sunscreen Lotion You are traveling or not, a sunscreen lotion should be in your skincare each day every day! Be it in the flight or anywhere else, if there is one thing that is always on my face, its sunscreen. And make sure it’s the case with you too. I generally use the one from Lotus  Matte Gel and you can check the review by clicking here! The use of sunscreen lotion is more than just avoiding tan. And it should be that one skincare product that you apply all the time. You can click on the review link above to know more about the importance of using a sunscreen. You can find a good sunscreen in any drugstore at your place. But just in case you want to get one online, Nykaa has a good number of options - here. Amazon has some too - here. When it comes to traveling there is another product that I keep handy all the time.

Hand Cream I have dry hands. And when I am traveling I have seen my hands end up looking like a duck foot - wrinkled and dry! And here comes the magical hand cream in play. Hand creams are thicker than body lotion, but you can also fill a small leakproof box with your regular body lotion and use it as a hand cream. It works just fine! I have been doing that till I picked this pretty blue tube of hand cream from Ceylon Spa in SriLanka. While I am sure, you must be getting hand creams in drugstores in your area, but if you wish to pick them up online, Nykaa has some really good ones(even the cute bottles from Tony Moly) - here. There is never a perfectly packed luggage for any trip but little things come handy. It's best to keep a kit ready and aside for your travels and, make a list of the things you needed the last time you were on a vacation and you forgot to carry. Saves you time and helps you pack faster and smarter! :)

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