When I first informed my family and friends I used to be occurring a visit to India, I feel they had been shocked. Oh, they had been nicely accustomed to my gallivanting. I had been to greater than 20 international locations and even began a journey weblog. But that was earlier than. Before I obtained most cancers.
Just seven months earlier I used to be identified with ovarian most cancers. Stage 3. Stage 3 just isn’t good. I can’t inform you what the survival charges are, as a result of I made a decision it was greatest for me to not look that up. But I can inform you that life-saving measures moved in a short time – an invasive surgical procedure with six weeks of relaxation and restoration, then cycles of chemotherapy therapies, blood checks and transfusions. My arms obtained observe marks from all of the IVs. My hair fell out. Eyelashes, too.
Winter grew to become spring grew to become summer season in a blur of hospital visits. As the remainder of the world “opened up” after Covid, I cancelled journey plans as a substitute of constructing them, and discovered first-hand the saying that wholesome folks have many desires, however sick folks have only one – getting higher.
The excellent news is that I did get higher. Thanks to medical science, a world-class oncology group and luck, I suppose, by autumn I used to be freed from illness! Which meant it was time for a “f*ck cancer” journey.
A brand new problem
“Are you sure you don’t just want to sit on a beach with a book?” That was my therapeutic massage therapist’s take after I informed him I used to be cleared for journey and occurring a two-week expedition round Northern India. He knew as a lot as anybody what form my physique was in. How I had been walloped by the chemical warfare of chemo, breaking me down on the very mobile stage. What he didn’t know is that regardless of being so, so drained what I didn’t want was relaxation. What I wanted was an journey.
India can be an journey.
I did have considerations. Not about journey in India, despite the fact that I had by no means been earlier than. Friends who had visited the nation described it as “challenging” and “a culture shock.” But I used to be going with Intrepid; I had taken their small group excursions earlier than and knew I’d be protected and nicely cared for. As for tradition shock, nicely, that’s what I signed up for!
It was me I used to be apprehensive about. Before most cancers, I loved bodily actions, even when I wasn’t all the time the fittest one in a gaggle. Now? Simply carrying my groceries up the steps was a troublesome exercise. While I used to be getting stronger day-after-day, I had common reminders that I used to be not but totally recovered. How would it not really feel to strap on my previous backpack and go-go-go for 12 days in a rustic recognized for sensory overload? I used to be about to seek out out, as a result of after months of being caught inside desirous about all of the issues I couldn’t do, I used to be greater than able to see what I may do.
A clear slate
One of the perfect issues about being a solo traveller becoming a member of a small group tour is that no one is aware of you. And so I landed in India for the Women’s Expedition feeling like I had a clear slate. Here, I’m not a affected person, I assumed. My journey mates don’t know that I used to be thinner earlier than, that I had lengthy hair earlier than or that psyching myself up for this was simply as powerful as my final Intrepid journey biking up mountains. I’m only a traveller, like them. (Maybe one who needs to eat extra garlic naan than is really helpful for a human, however a traditional human nonetheless.)
It truly took about 5 minutes into introductions to disclose I used to be on my first huge journey after most cancers. Because that’s one of many different issues I like about Intrepid excursions – they really are a shared expertise. In my group had been birthday milestones, life-long bucket lists and somebody on their first solo journey ever. What all of us had in frequent was that we had been all right here, now, and about to have a grand journey collectively.
India was a grand journey.
On our tour we visited stunning historic palaces, temples and absolutely the must-see Taj Mahal mausoleum. We had procuring sprees for beautiful hand-made textiles, basked within the glow of Diwali lights, found the pleasures of a ripe mangosteen. I discovered a lot in regards to the nation’s historical past, tradition and religions. Many laughs had been had and garlic naans consumed.
I felt awed, day by day. Not simply by the sights however by my very own physique and its means to heal. Maybe I used to be a bit of slower climbing out and in of the tuk tuks, however I used to be doing it. I used to be travelling once more!
Into the desert
Before coming to India, I obtained the sense that many travellers expertise some type of epiphany right here. I’m not a non secular individual, and wasn’t chasing that. But I used to be ready for the second I’d really feel “different.”
The feeling got here within the Thar Desert. Also referred to as the Great Indian Desert, the Thar is within the northwest, close to the border with Pakistan. To get there, we first took a 17-hour practice journey from New Delhi to town of Jaisalmer after which hopped in a jeep for a trip into the new, dusty desert, passing camels, cows, sheep and inquisitive kids. With each bump I needed to yell out “wheeee!” (Translation: “I’m in the desert! Alive!”)
As promised, our in a single day camp was a easy spot within the open air, with cots, heat blankets and endless chai. As if by osmosis, the group all dropped our luggage and shortly scampered up a sand dune. The solar was about to set.
Finding myself once more
Back after I was housebound, it was the sunsets I missed essentially the most. I dwell close to the good Lake Ontario, and in regular occasions I’d plan my days round biking or strolling to a spot the place I may watch the solar set over the water. Free remedy, I known as it. No matter what was occurring in my head or my coronary heart, I may watch the solar full its job for the day and be reminded that tomorrow was a clear slate, one other likelihood. It’s one of many issues that most cancers took from me.
Not anymore. There it was – an ideal orange sundown in a transparent unobstructed sky. I used to be decided to take all of it in, whereas additionally taking photographs, whereas additionally high-fiving my tour mates, whereas additionally accepting chai. Because despite the fact that this was the identical solar I may go watch virtually anyplace now, it wasn’t in any respect. This was the sundown of my first ever night time within the Thar Desert. In a brand new nation. A brand new continent. With ladies who had been shortly changing into my buddies. On a visit that I made a decision to take for myself, regardless of the challenges.
I realised then why I had actually come right here. Not to be amazed, or awed. Before most cancers, it’s true that I yearned for awe. Because life was so usually strange. Then life grew to become extraordinary. What I wanted now was to really feel regular once more. With the cool desert sand between my toes, a heat tin cup between my arms, and the entire world seemingly out in entrance of me, I felt extra like myself than I had in such a very long time.
And so when folks ask me, “What was your favourite thing you discovered in India?” it’s my flip to shock them after I say “me.”
Liisa travelled as a visitor of Intrepid on the India Women’s Expedition. Our vary of Women’s Expeditions create immersive native experiences for ladies which can be ordinarily off limits on our common group departures.