"You got this, girl", I said to myself as I picked up my rucksack and looked at myself in the mirror. It had been six months since my boyfriend had broken up with me, and like the hopeless romantic that I am, I had spent all that time wallowing in sorrow. The worst part about the breakup? We had had no arguments, no problems with each other, a long distance relationship was just not our cup of tea. But I was tired of crying now, it was time to get over him, and I decided to mark this new beginning by taking my first ever solo trip to Spiti Valley.
I was sad, single, alone, and ready to embark on my adventure
My journey till Chitkul was dreamy, to say the least. I was driving across the most breathtaking landscapes I had ever seen. I was in a no-network zone, unconnected from the world. It was just me, with only endless blue skies and mighty, barren mountains for company. After a long time, I was truly, immensely happy. It was late by the time I reached Chitkul, so I grabbed a quick bite and headed to my cozy room to crash after a long day. However, the sky was ablaze with a million stars and the Milky Way, I decided to head to the rooftop for a clearer view.
Walking up the ladder, I heard my favourite song, Yellow, faintly filling up an otherwise quiet night. With a smile on my face, I walked across the rooftop towards the shadowy figure who was looking up at the sky and swaying to the song. The silhouette seemed strangely familiar – I was sure I was imagining it all, until the figure turned, and I was standing face to face... with my ex! It seemed like a scene right out of a rom-com film, my heart leapt out of my body and melted. Memories of us that I had tucked into the far-corners of my mind came rushing back in a flood. Just then, the song came to an end, my ex gave me a smile that could stop time and end wars. We had always wanted to visit Spiti while we were dating, and after breaking up, this magical place had somehow conspired to bring us together.
We ended up spending a beautiful night, watching the night sky, catching up with all that had transpired over the last half year. For a situation that was supposed to be awkward, this was strangely, the most comfortable I had felt in the last few months. We decided that we would take the remaining journey together since we were both travelling solo.
The next few days were straight out of a dream. We went further ahead and explored Tabo, its monastery that dated back to the 10th century. We spent hours in the temple, meditating, talking to priests about Buddhism and reading up on Tibetan art along with strangers from around the world. My ex and I were bonding over our passion for learning about new cultures, something that we had always enjoyed doing together.
We sat in Dhankar Monastery writing poetry, trying to put our experience into words or a sketch. We walked aimlessly when we couldn’t find a ride to hitch, carrying our heavy backpacks but feeling weightless like never before. We spent time just with ourselves, sometimes sitting quietly for hours, and other times, talking till dawn-break. When we went cafe hopping in Kaza or headed upwards to Key, Kibber, and Langza, we experienced complete peace and tranquility . It was just him and I on this trip, and the fact that we were unconnected with everyone else, made it feel like this was our very own tiny world. Nothing beyond us and Spiti existed.
I have always believed that the best test of compatibility is travelling with your partner. Even though our hearts were broken once, the trip was flawless. We were perfect travelling partners – we liked the same things, we both gave each other space and yet, had fun together. Whether it was my ex's patience when we got lost on a hike that I suggested or my optimism when he misplaced his wallet, we were able to handle the ups and downs of the trip with ease. In spite of the breakup, neither the spark nor the chemistry between us had died. We were perfect for each other, like we had always been.
And so, as we fell for Spiti together, we fell in love with each other, all over again.
Have you found love on a trip as well? Tell me in the comment section or create a blog on Tripoto to share your love story.
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