Two Backpacks, Nine Days, and a Soundtrack Called Memories.

For some, August marks the arrival of the monsoon. For me, it signals something else entirely: the itch to travel.

Life, off late, has been a little too hectic, a little too predictable, and a little too consumed by the daily grind. And sometimes, the best way to reset isn’t another weekend on the couch or another attempt at convincing yourself that Monday will be better.

Sometimes, you just need to pack a bag and disappear into the wilderness for a while.

Luckily, I have a partner who’s always ready to entertain these adventures. No elaborate negotiations, no endless planning meetings—just two backpacks, nine days, and a willingness to see where the road takes us.

I wanted a beachfront escape. She wanted to explore Udupi.

We couldn’t quite find common ground.

So, naturally, we went ahead with the trip anyway. Some things are better figured out along the way.

What followed was a beautiful mix of countless good meals, an ₹80 ride that we’ll probably remember for years, a rather dramatic bike ride in Goa, and an unplanned detour to Agumbe.

Because that’s the funny thing about travelling. You might set out with a destination in mind, but the memories that stay with you often come from the things you never planned.

And then, there’s the music.

Every trip seems to leave me with a soundtrack of its own. A couple of songs find their way into my head, and before I know it, I’m humming them through bus rides, train journeys, quiet walks, and everything in between. This time, two songs made the cut. I kept returning to them throughout the trip, until they became inseparable from the experience itself.

There’s a certain magic in attaching a song to a beautiful phase of your life. The song doesn’t change, but the memories it carries begin to mean something entirely different.

Months from now, I could be buried under office work, rushing between meetings, or simply trying to get through an ordinary Tuesday. And then, somewhere in the background, one of these songs might start playing.

For a few seconds, I’ll be somewhere else.

Back on that journey. Back to those little adventures. Back to the moments when the only thing on the agenda was figuring out where to go next.

And perhaps that’s one of the most beautiful things about travelling. You don’t just collect memories. You leave little pieces of yourself in places you’ll one day revisit through a photograph, a familiar road, or a song. These blogs are my way of preserving those pieces.

Not every trip needs to be extraordinary. Not every story needs a grand adventure. Sometimes, all it takes is a few days away, the right company, a little spontaneity, and a soundtrack that refuses to leave your head. Because these aren’t just travel stories. They’re pages of my life that I’ll keep returning to, long after the journeys themselves have ended.

And this chapter? It has only just begun.

More journeys, more detours, more stories. Let’s get going.