Top 6 Reasons Why I Travel and Why You Should Too

Last Updated: March 2026

In the previous article of this series, I talked about how travel transformed my personality and helped me feel “Alive is Awesome”. That article was about the transformation itself. This one is about something deeper. Why do I keep going back? Why, after more than 14 years of Himalayan road trips, do I still pack my bags the moment I get a chance?

In this article, I will try to share the reasons why I travel and why it has become an inseparable part of who I am. If you have ever wondered why some people keep traveling despite all the challenges, the long drives, the uncertain roads, the altitude headaches, I hope this will give you some clarity. And if you are planning your first trip to the Himalayas, I hope it gives you that final push 🙂

This article is part of the “Alive is Awesome” series. If you missed the beginning, do check out the introduction to Alive is Awesome and how travel transformed and made me feel Alive is Awesome.

Why Do I Travel? 6 Reasons That Keep Me Going

People ask me this question all the time. Some ask it casually, some genuinely want to understand. “You have been to Ladakh so many times, why do you keep going?” The honest answer is that it is never the same trip twice. The roads change, the weather changes, you change. But more than that, travel gives me things that nothing else in life has been able to. Let me explain.

1. Travel Gives Me a Reason to Believe in Myself

Travel teaches you what you are truly capable of. There was a time when I could barely jog for 10 minutes without gasping for air. Then travel took me to a 4,000 meter peak in Spiti Valley, and somehow I made it to the top. Not because I was physically ready, but because travel has this way of pulling strength out of you that you did not know existed.

I have stood at 14,000 feet with AMS symptoms kicking in, heart racing, head pounding, and I had to stay calm because panicking at that altitude helps nobody. Travel taught me that composure. It taught me that I can communicate with people whose language I do not understand. A smile, a gesture, a shared cup of chai at a dhaba in Zanskar where neither of us spoke the other’s language, and yet we understood each other perfectly.

Keep in mind, self-belief does not come from motivational books. It comes from surviving a flat tire at Baralacha La at midnight, from navigating a water crossing on a loaded motorcycle, from making decisions when there is no phone network and no one to call. Travel gave me that belief, and it keeps reinforcing it with every trip.

2. Travel Gives Me a Reason to Smile Every Day

Here is something nobody tells you about travel. The best part is not the trip itself. It is the smile that comes back weeks, months, even years later when you least expect it.

I could be sitting at my desk after a long and frustrating day at work, and then I glance at that one photograph on my living room wall from a past trip. Suddenly the frustration melts away. That panoramic view of snow-clad peaks from a vantage point after hours of hiking, it takes the pain away and brings a genuine smile back to my face.

Travel gives me reasons to smile that have nothing to do with the trip itself. A picture of smiling monks in Ladakh. Small kids waving from a remote village in Kinnaur. A fellow traveler making a ridiculous joke at 15,000 feet while everyone is struggling to breathe. These moments become your personal collection of happiness that no one can take away from you.

And I will tell you this, my friend, on the roughest days in personal life, when nothing seems to be working, one glance at those photographs from the mountains is enough to remind me that life is still beautiful. That is the power of travel 🙂

3. Travel Gives Me a Reason to Love This Life

I travel because it reconnects me with something fundamental. When you spend three days driving through the harshest terrain, dealing with AMS, bone-chilling cold, and unpredictable weather, and then you arrive at a valley so beautiful that it makes your eyes water, you understand what it means to truly love being alive.

Dheeraj Sharma

Load More... Subscribe

Travel gave me a reason to love mother nature even when she puts me through the harshest of conditions. It gave me a reason to appreciate the flora and fauna around us because when you see a Himalayan Monal at 12,000 feet or a wild yak grazing near Hanle, you understand why their existence matters. These are not things you learn from a textbook. You learn them by being there.

Travel also gave me a reason to love the stories of other people. Over the years, I have met hundreds of fellow travelers who sail in much the same boat as I do. People who left their comfortable city lives for a week to chase something they could not explain. Hearing their stories, understanding their struggles, sharing a campfire under a sky full of stars, these experiences taught me to love this one and only life we get.

If you are someone who is wondering whether a solo trip to the Himalayas is worth it, I can tell you from experience that it absolutely is. You can read more about it in my solo trip to Ladakh guide where I have covered the practical side of traveling alone.

4. Travel Gives Me a Reason to Keep Learning

One of the most beautiful things about travel is that it never stops teaching you. Every trip brings new lessons that no classroom can offer. I have learned about cultures, landscapes, native communities, and terrain from the places I visit. Not from reading about them, but from actually being there and experiencing them firsthand.

Travel taught me how to drive through the most difficult roads in India and stay composed. It taught me how to click a slightly better photograph with each trip. It taught me about survival in remote areas where the nearest help is 200 km away. It taught me how weather patterns change across my country, why it snows in March in Spiti but rains in April in Kinnaur, why the wind at Tanglang La can knock you off your bike in the afternoon but is dead calm at sunrise.

I have learned about local traditions and festivals that most Indians do not even know exist. The Chham dance at Kungri Monastery in Pin Valley. The way families in Zanskar survive winters when the road is closed for six months. The ingenuity of Ladakhi farmers who channel glacial meltwater through ancient irrigation systems. Travel keeps teaching you about the world and, more importantly, about yourself.

Hence, if you think you are “done learning,” plan a trip. The Himalayas will humble you and educate you at the same time. I always suggest people to start with something like the art of traveling through backpacking to understand the mindset before jumping into the logistics.

5. Travel Gives Me a Reason to Connect With Amazing People

This reason has become even more significant over the years. When I started traveling, it was mostly about the places. Now, it is equally about the people. Travel introduced me to some of the most genuine human beings I have ever met. People who breathe travel the way I do, who understand the unexplainable urge to hit the road.

Through this blog and the DwD Community, I have connected with thousands of fellow travelers over the past 14 years. Some send warm messages after reading an article that helped them plan their trip. Some share their own trip reports that motivate me to explore a route I had not considered before. Some need help with pilgrimage logistics for Char Dham or Amarnath, and being able to help them feels deeply meaningful.

Travel also connected me with the people who support this blog through their unending love, the readers who take time to write comments, share posts with their friends and family, and come back trip after trip using the information here. That connection is something I treasure deeply. It turned a personal travel blog into a community, and that community into friendships that go way beyond the internet.

In case you are looking to connect with like-minded travelers, feel free to join the DwD Community. You will find travel partners, real-time road updates, and a group of people who genuinely care about each other’s trips. You can also check our responsible travel tips to understand the values our community travels by.

6. Travel Gives Me a Reason to Feel Alive, to Feel Awesome

This is the one that ties everything together. Travel gives me a reason to feel alive while running through majestic vistas of the Himalayan range. It gives me a reason to feel alive while experiencing the happiest moments with my travel mates, even after having a flat tire in the middle of nowhere with freezing temperatures. It gives me a reason to feel alive while having some of the funniest bathing experiences in the most unexpected places (I have written about these adventure bathing experiences in Rishikesh and they are worth a read).

Travel gives me a reason to feel alive even when I am not traveling. Writing these articles, sharing my experiences and travel information with people who are seeking the same knowledge, helping someone plan their first Ladakh trip or their first trek, all of this keeps the travel spirit alive inside me 365 days a year.

In the end, Travel gives me a reason to feel ALIVE, a reason to feel AWESOME.

How Can Travel Change Your Life Too?

If you have read this far, chances are you already feel the pull. Maybe you have been planning a trip but keep putting it off. Maybe you think you need more money, more time, more experience. Let me tell you, my friend, none of that is true.

I started traveling when I had very little money and even less experience. My first few trips were full of mistakes. Wrong routes, wrong gear, wrong expectations. But those mistakes became the best lessons of my life. They turned into the knowledge that now fills this blog and helps lakhs of travelers plan their trips every year.

You do not need a fancy bike or an expensive SUV to start. Some of the best trips I know of have been done on HRTC buses and shared taxis. What you need is the willingness to step out of your comfort zone. The Himalayas will take care of the rest.

Here are a few practical starting points if you are ready to begin:

Dheeraj Sharma

Load More... Subscribe

• If you want a weekend escape, try a trip to the waterfalls near Delhi or a weekend trip to Kasol
• If you are ready for something bigger, read my solo trip to Ladakh guide to start planning
• If you want to build the travel mindset first, check out the art of traveling through backpacking

What Travel Has Taught Me After 14 Years on the Road

Looking back at more than a decade of road trips, treks, and adventures across the Indian Himalayas, I can say with confidence that travel has shaped who I am more than anything else. It taught me patience when the Manali – Leh Highway was blocked for three days. It taught me gratitude when a stranger offered food at a remote dhaba in Zanskar. It taught me humility when nature reminded me, repeatedly, that I am very small in the grand scheme of things.

Travel taught me that the details lie in the journey and not in the destination. I have written about this philosophy many times on this blog, and I will keep writing about it because it is something I deeply believe in. The most memorable moments from my trips are never at the tourist spots. They are in the unexpected stops along the way. A chai break at a nameless dhaba, a conversation with a truck driver sharing road conditions, a sunrise that you caught only because your alarm went off too early.

So if you are sitting on the fence about that trip, take this as your sign. Pack your bags. Plan your route. And remember, the Himalayas do not judge whether you come in a Fortuner or on a 100cc bike. They welcome everyone equally.

Conclusion

These are the reasons I travel and have been traveling for over 14 years now. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and now understand a little better why this blog, Discover with Dheeraj, exists. It exists because travel gave me so much that sharing it with others felt like the most natural thing to do.

I would love to hear your reasons for traveling too. What keeps you going? What was that one trip that changed everything for you? Feel free to share in the comments section below or post your story in the DwD Community. I will be happy to hear from you 🙂

In the next few articles of this “Alive is Awesome” series, things will get more interesting and I will be sharing some of the funniest and most adventurous ways I got wet (yes, bathing stories from the road). These have become some of the most cherishable memories from my travel tales and helped me live life to the fullest. So, stay tuned 😀 …

If you found this article helpful or inspiring, please feel free to share it with your friends and family who are planning their next trip. Also, do not forget to check out the other articles in this series for more travel stories and inspiration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is traveling important in life?

Traveling is important because it teaches you things that no classroom or book can. It builds self-confidence, exposes you to diverse cultures and landscapes, and gives you memories that bring joy for years. In my 14+ years of traveling across the Indian Himalayas, I have learned more about patience, resilience, and gratitude on the road than I ever did sitting in an office.

How does travel change a person?

Travel changes you by pushing you out of your comfort zone repeatedly. You learn to solve problems with limited resources, communicate with people who speak different languages, and appreciate the simple things in life. After dealing with a breakdown in the middle of nowhere or navigating a high-altitude pass in bad weather, everyday challenges at work feel much smaller.

What are the benefits of traveling in India?

India offers an incredible range of travel experiences from the snow-covered passes of Ladakh to the beaches of Goa to the tea gardens of Darjeeling. For Indian travelers specifically, domestic trips are affordable compared to international travel, the diversity of cultures within the country is staggering, and you can find trips for every budget level. The Himalayan states alone offer enough adventure for a lifetime.

How do I start traveling if I have never traveled before?

Start small. Pick a weekend destination within 6-8 hours of your city. Pack light, plan a basic itinerary, and just go. You do not need expensive gear or a fancy vehicle. Some of the best trips in the Himalayas can be done on HRTC buses for under Rs 1,000 one way. Once you complete one trip, the confidence for the next one comes naturally. Join the DwD Community to find travel partners and get advice from experienced travelers.

Is solo travel safe in the Indian Himalayas?

Solo travel in the Indian Himalayas is generally safe if you plan well. The key factors are proper acclimatization at high altitudes, carrying enough fuel and supplies for remote stretches, having a working BSNL postpaid connection for areas with limited network, and informing someone about your itinerary. I have detailed all the safety tips in my solo trip to Ladakh article. The mountain communities are welcoming and helpful, so do not let fear hold you back.

What motivates people to keep traveling?

For most regular travelers I know, the motivation comes from the feeling of being alive in a way that daily routine does not offer. It is the anticipation before a trip, the experiences during, and the memories after. Once you have tasted that feeling of standing at a mountain pass at sunrise or sharing a meal with strangers who become friends, regular life just does not feel complete without the next trip on the calendar.