Reflections from my Road-trip with Dad
- Anuj Chadha
- Mar 27
- 5 min read
My Dad and I recently went on a ten-day road trip from Bangalore to Coonoor and Coorg with stop-overs in Mysore. While I have been on several family vacations with my parents & siblings in my school years, it almost seems like another lifetime.
This was different: It was just the two of us, Dad and I. Mom would have loved it. She was there with us in spirit, smiling from above. My wife, daughters, brother & sister were receiving regular pics and videos of our adventures from us throughout the ten days!
I am sharing a few things that I learnt during this trip with my Dad:
Technology can sustain tradition - My Dad's work begins each morning with a "Daily Morning Prayer Connect" with their office staff via a virtual meeting platform. Usually, he is in his office by 9:15 am, and if he is traveling, like during this trip, or if he is working from home, he joins online. It is a beautiful, short, daily connect ritual with all their employees, where they pray, sing, chant, share achievements of the previous day, and share any good news in the world from the last 24 hours! Talk about starting your day with positive energy! And leveraging tech to sustain your traditions!
Age is just a number: I can easily acknowledge that Dad works more hours and walks more steps than me each week. At 81, my Dad is an inspiration to me for staying fit and following a regular work and health routine. He says, "Anuj, it is not that I can walk because I am fit. I am fit because I walk! Everyone should try to walk for as long as they are alive!" I have seen Dad recover from his share of illnesses, but if there is one thing that tells me he is keeping well, it is his daily walking routine. It reminds me, Age is just a number!
Pleasure & Pain always go together - the key is how we deal with it. When we got to our Airbnb place in Coonoor, Drop Zone, it was away from the main town, driving through narrow hillside lanes. But as we rolled into the property, we were taken aback by the breathtaking views of the Coonoor valley! We had a delightful stay in Coonoor, enjoyed delicious lunches at the Coonoor Junction and Lakshmi Cafe, and visited the gorgeously landscaped Sim's Park where
Dad got his fill of pictures of flowers, and we even got to do a boat ride!
As we got back to the villa one evening, the front left tyre of our EV burst with a loud bang! It seems the tyre had scraped over a sharp stone. Luckily, we were right at the villa, and I could replace the flat tyre before the sun went down.
The burst was so severe that we had to buy
a new tyre the next morning! I made a mental note - Pleasure and Pain always go together! The Key is how we deal with it.
Adventure is always waiting, we need to be open & willing to embrace it. While driving back from the beautiful property located in the picturesque tea gardens of Coonoor, towards Mysore, a policeman told us to take a detour around the Bandipur Forest Reserve instead of allowing us to drive through it. I wasn't happy about taking the longer route. I looked at the battery charge left in my EV and estimated we were still okay to get to the next EV Charging station. It turned out to be a very scenic and smooth drive on a high-quality road, and lo and behold! Just as we stopped at a speed breaker, this
langur came and sat on top of our car bonnet! (see the video). It told me there is a different adventure waiting on the route chosen for you!
The Universe is winking at you: I stopped believing in coincidences a few years ago. Instead I started believing in the Universal Plan. So now, each time I notice a "coincidence", I tell myself that the "Universe is winking at me"! When we reached this beautiful Airbnb Toolhouse@Raho built in Kodagu, nestled in a coffee plantation in the foothills of Coorg, it was a
dusty track for the last couple of kilometres. After a quick lunch (Maggi with omelette and cheese prepared by the in-house master-chef!), Dad was ready for his post-lunch walk, and we explored the path through the plantation to the Kaveri River nearby. After about 30 minutes and a 2.5 km walk through the village and paddy fields, we discovered a beautiful Shiva temple tucked on the banks of the Kaveri river. And we realised that it was Mahashivratri that day! The temple was beautifully decorated and we even got some prasad from the festival celebrations completed earlier that morning! Dad and I enjoyed dipping our feet in the cool Kaveri waters - The Universe had just winked!
Watch the stars - they are sending a message. Why don't we see the stars in our busy city life? Gazing at the clear and starry night sky one evening, as we were doing our post-dinner walk, Dad commented, "I have never seen such a clear sky in Delhi!". He took out the phone and checked out the various constellations on his Sky View App - this was the evening when the Moon, Venus, Mars, and Saturn had beautifully aligned with the Earth! I told him it must be the bright lights and haze that covers most of our cities. But something changed that night. I think we slowed down a bit and started noticing the beautiful stars in the night sky. We started listening to the message they are sending to us all the time. Now Dad sends pictures of the night sky that he sees these days from Delhi too!
Overall, the ten-day road-trip was an experience of a lifetime for me - I learnt a lot! And I just re-lived it while sharing it with you. If you are thinking about a trip with your parents, don't think, just do it!
The author, Anuj Chadha, is a Leadership Coach, and the Co-Founder of the Thrive Program, designed for Individual Leaders, Teams, and Organizations, along with Harpreet Arora. To know more, write to anuj@threecircles.co.in or connect@harpreetarora.com
Anuj is the Founder of Three Circles, Faculty & Coach with Leadership Et' Humanite, and an Associate Coach with the Center for Creative Leadership.
At Three Circles, we build a deep understanding of what it takes to navigate the challenges that life throws at us. We partner with our clients, listen to their life & career aspirations, and support them to break through the obstacles that seem to be holding them back. Life is too precious to be unhappy, unsure, or unfulfilled. Partner with us as you re-imagine and re-create the Life that you Love!
Simple things that we do together give us profound joy and make beautiful memories. Thank you for sharing!
What a lovely trip for you both!