When a surprise trip turned my mother into my favorite travel buddy.
with candid laughter in the rain with sunset
It began as a simple surprise - a trip I planned with my mother to the quiet, snowy folds of the Himalayas. I thought I knew how it would go: I’d work on alternate days, and she’d probably keep to her familiar motherly rhythm. But what unfolded was something I never expected.
with moments of stillness
Somewhere between our laughter echoing through pine trails and shared silences over cups of steaming ginger-honey-lemon-tea, I met a new version of her - my travel companion. Curious, light-hearted, and utterly in love with the little things: the sparkle of snow on the mountaintops, the warmth of sunlight sneaking through clouds, the joy of meeting new people.
with the beverage that became our favourite
She wasn’t playing a role anymore. She was simply herself - reading, writing, breathing freely. Every day, she seemed lighter, happier, more at peace. And I? I was traveling not just through mountains, but through a rediscovered bond.
with her me-time, journaling
I had planned a surprise trip, but she became the surprise - a wonderful travel buddy I didn’t know I had. It felt like journeying with a cute, curious friend I’ve known forever, yet was meeting for the very first time.
In those mountains, I didn’t just find peace - I found her, and a part of me that had long missed her being her, away from her favourite full-time role of a mother.
with serene landscapes
I went expecting a trip with my mother. What I didn’t expect was to find a travel buddy hiding behind the familiar face of ‘Aai’. Together, we laughed, explored, and discovered the joy of little things - heavy raindrops, sunsets, and surprising new sides of each other.
Cheers to those two weeks, countless memories and a bond that felt brand new; and to many more to come!!!
✍©Sonal Thorve
