Gokarna — a trip I'll remember for life

1st Feb, 2026

I recently went on a trip to Gokarna with my friends: Lekhu, Niharika, and Hemanth. It wasn't a well-planned trip and we did hit a few bumps along the way. However, it turned out to be one of the, nah, the best trip of my life so far!

While heading to Gokarna, I had this one question lingering on my mind: Why the fuck do we travel?

After wandering for centuries, humans finally settled and built comfortable spaces. So, why wander again? Why leave the comfortable nest?

I was on the lookout for the answer and surprisingly, I found not one, not two, but three convincing reasons.

Peace. Experiences. And people.

Peace

I live in Hyderabad and time flies here. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months pretty fast. But in Gokarna, time just slowed down. Days there were like juicy oranges. I could squeeze a lot more. And they were delicious as fuck!

After living a fast-paced wakeup-work-sleep life in Hyderabad, the slow life in Gokarna hit different. It was refreshing and peaceful!

I woke up to beach roars and basked in the sun for as long as I wanted. There were no standup calls, deadlines, or anything to run after. I could breathe and just be!

This kind of peace is nowhere to be found in my comfortable, matchbox apartment. I only found it when I travelled to Gokarna.

Experiences

I don't remember the last time I saw a sunset in Hyderabad. By the time I finish work, the sun's usually long gone and it's already dark. But in Gokarna, I watched the sun set while I was floating in the middle of the sea. And the water around me turned liquid orange. It was pure bliss!

Later that night, we slept in tents by the beach. All night, I could hear the waves crashing against the shore. It felt surreal!

The next day, we went on a looooong trek. We climbed rocks and squeezed through narrow passages while the sun showed us no mercy. But when we finally reached our spot and devoured a big breakfast with a soothing lemon soda, oh god, it was insanely satisfying!

On the last day, we went parasailing. Floating in the air like a kite with the sea below, I was reminded of that scene from Dead Poets Society where the students stand on their desks to see the world differently. Up there, I did see the world differently—the same trees, beach, and hills looked completely new from the sky.

All these experiences came along with physical discomfort in travel. From questionable washrooms to unfamiliar sleeping spots, almost everything challenged my comfort zone. However, for experiences like these, I'd trade my comfort in a heartbeat. After all, the thrill of flying is worth leaving the comfortable nest.

People

I'd give everything to relive that moment—lying on the sand under the stars, laughing with my friends until our stomachs hurt.

All those long walks, heartfelt conversations, and hilariously stupid debates we had are now memories I'll carry for life.

No amount of WhatsApp texts, phone calls, or occasional meet-ups in Hyderabad could have created this. Only traveling to Gokarna together made it possible.

Leaving my comfort space to spend time in my safe space (you guys) was worth every second! Love you guys! 🫶

I started the trip with the question: Why the fuck do we travel? And somewhere between floating in orange waters, sleeping under starlit skies, and sharing laughs with my friends, I found my answer! :)