Why I Travel and Why I Blog | Alive is Awesome

Last Updated: March 2026

If you have landed on this page, chances are you are curious about the person behind Discover With Dheeraj, or perhaps you want to know what drives someone to spend over 15 years writing about the Himalayas. Either way, welcome 🙂 This is where it all started. Not with a grand plan or a business strategy, but with a simple realization that being alive, truly alive, is the most awesome feeling in the world. And for me, that feeling has always been tied to travel.

Why Do I Travel? The Honest Answer

People ask me this question all the time. “Dheeraj, why do you travel so much?” The honest answer is that I did not start traveling because I had some deep philosophical reason. I started because I was restless. I was the kind of person who felt stuck in routine, stuck in the everyday loop of office, home, and repeat. Something inside me always craved more, but I could never quite put a finger on what that “more” was.

Then came my first trip to Chail and Shimla back in November 2008, and everything changed. It was not a grand Ladakh expedition or an epic Himalayan trek. It was a simple drive from Delhi to the hills with a few friends. But that trip cracked something open inside me. The cold air hitting my face, the curves of the mountain roads, the silence of the forests, it all felt like waking up from a long sleep. I came back a different person. Not dramatically different, but something had shifted. I wanted more of that feeling.

How Did Travel Transform Me as a Person?

Travel did not transform me overnight. It was a slow, steady process that happened over years of road trips, motorcycle rides, and long bus journeys through the Himalayas. Each trip peeled away a layer of fear, a layer of comfort zone, a layer of “I cannot do this.” I remember the first time I drove through a water crossing on a mountain road and my heart was pounding so hard I thought it would jump out. I remember the first time I woke up at 14,000 feet with a splitting headache from altitude sickness and thought, “Why did I do this to myself?” And I also remember the sunrise that followed, and how every ounce of discomfort suddenly felt worth it.

Here is what travel taught me over the years. It taught me patience, because mountain roads do not care about your schedule. It taught me humility, because standing at the foot of a 20,000 Ft peak makes all your daily worries feel incredibly small. It taught me gratitude, because sharing a meal with a village family in Ladakh who had almost nothing but gave everything reminded me what real generosity looks like. And it taught me that the details lie in the journey and not in the destination.

I have written about how travel transformed and made me feel alive in much more detail in another post. However, in short, the person I was before 2008 and the person I am now are barely recognizable as the same human being. Travel did that. The Himalayas did that.

What Does “Alive is Awesome” Actually Mean?

“Alive is Awesome” is a phrase I adopted many years ago, and it stuck because it captures exactly what I feel every time I am out on the road. It is not about extreme sports or adrenaline rushes, though those happen too. It is about the small moments that make you feel genuinely present. The moment you step out of your car at a remote pass and the cold wind hits you and you can see for hundreds of kilometers in every direction. The moment you are sitting at a dhaba with a cup of chai after driving for 8 hours and everything just feels right. The moment you jump into the freezing cold waters of the Ganges in Rishikesh and every cell in your body screams “ALIVE.”

That is what being alive is about. Not the Instagram photos, not the check-in points, not the “been there done that” list. It is about those raw, unfiltered moments where you feel like you are exactly where you are supposed to be. And once you experience that feeling, it becomes very hard to go back to a life without it.

Why Did I Start This Blog?

I started blogging in 2009 under the name “Devil On Wheels” (hence the old DeViL references you might see on this site). The reason was simple. Every time I came back from a trip, friends and colleagues would ask me a hundred questions. “How did you get there? How much did it cost? Is the road safe? Where did you stay? Can my sedan handle that road?” I was answering the same questions over and over again. So I thought, why not write it all down in one place?

What started as a hobby quickly became a passion project. I realized that there was a massive gap in reliable travel information for Himalayan destinations. Most blogs were either too vague, too outdated, or clearly written by someone who had never actually been there. I wanted to create a resource where every piece of information was based on real, on-ground experience. If I said a road was bad, it was because I had driven on it. If I said a homestay was good, it was because I had stayed there. If I said you need to watch out for AMS at a certain altitude, it was because I had seen people suffer from it firsthand.

Over 15 years later, that principle has not changed. The blog has grown from a handful of trip reports to over 700 detailed guides covering Ladakh, Spiti Valley, Kinnaur, Uttarakhand, Lahaul, Pangi Valley, and more. But the core mission remains the same, to help Indian travelers plan safe, meaningful, and well-informed trips to the Himalayas.

How Did Devil On Wheels Become Discover With Dheeraj?

For over 14 years, this blog was known as “Devil On Wheels.” The name came from my love for driving and riding through the mountains, and it had a certain edgy energy that I liked in my 20s. But as the blog grew, as the community grew, and as I grew, I realized that the name no longer captured what this project had become. It was no longer just about driving and wheels. It was about discovery, about helping people, about building something meaningful.

So in 2023, I made the decision to rebrand to “Discover With Dheeraj.” It was not an easy call. The Devil On Wheels name had built a loyal following and a strong identity in the Indian travel community. But the new name better reflects what we do here. We help you discover the Himalayas, not just drive through them. We help you discover the culture, the people, the hidden stories behind every valley and every village. And we do it together, as a community.

Dheeraj Sharma

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The old DeViL On WheeLs identity is something I will always be proud of. It is where it all started. If you see references to “DoW” or “DeViL” on older pages and posts, that is the history showing through 🙂

What Makes Discover With Dheeraj Different from Other Travel Blogs?

I get this question a lot, and I will be honest with you. There are hundreds of travel blogs about India, many of them excellent. But here is what I believe sets this blog apart.

First, everything is experience-based. I do not write about places I have not visited. And when I do include information from other travelers, I say so clearly. No fabrication, no guessing, no “based on what I read on another website.” If I have not been somewhere, I will say “based on reports from DwD community members” and let you know.

Second, the information is obsessively updated. A travel guide from 2019 is useless if the bus schedule changed in 2024. I spend a significant chunk of my time updating old posts with the latest road conditions, permit requirements, bus fares, and accommodation prices. This is the unglamorous part of travel blogging that most people skip. But it is also the part that can make or break your trip.

Third, the community. This blog is not a one-way broadcast. The DwD Community is a living, breathing group of thousands of Himalayan travel enthusiasts who help each other with trip planning, share real-time road updates, and even organize group trips together. You can find travel partners, get your itinerary reviewed, or simply connect with people who share your passion. Check the DoW Travel Calendar from the main menu for upcoming trips and events.

Fourth, responsible travel is not optional. The Himalayas are fragile. Responsible travel is built into every guide on this blog. We carry stationery for village schools, medicines for dispensaries, and woolens for local families. We organize cleanliness drives. We recommend local businesses, local taxi drivers, local homestays, because supporting local economies is not charity, it is the right way to travel.

Fifth, I tell you what I actually think. If I believe Jispa is a better overnight stop than Sarchu on the Manali to Leh Highway, I will tell you directly and explain why. If I think a certain road is not safe for sedans, I will say so. I do not sit on the fence with “it depends on your preference” when I have a clear recommendation based on years of experience. You came here for honest advice, and that is exactly what you will get.

What Are Some of My Most Memorable Travel Moments?

Over 15 years of traveling through the Himalayas, certain moments have etched themselves permanently into my memory. These are the moments that remind me why I do this, why I keep going back, and why I will never stop.

I remember the first time I saw Pangong Lake. After an exhausting drive over Chang La, battling headaches from the altitude, the lake appeared out of nowhere, and everything went quiet. The blue of the water against the brown mountains, the absolute silence, the feeling of having earned this view through hours of rough roads. That moment changed everything for me. It was no longer just a hobby. It was a calling.

I remember a night in Jispa when the power went out and the entire village was plunged into darkness. We stepped out of the homestay and looked up. The Milky Way was so vivid, so impossibly detailed, that it felt like someone had painted it across the sky. We stood there in the cold for over an hour, not wanting to go back inside. Nobody said a word. Nobody needed to.

I remember a water crossing near Zingzing Bar on the Manali to Leh Highway where the water level was higher than expected. My heart was racing, the car was shaking, and I could feel the current pulling against the tyres. We made it through, but those 30 seconds felt like an hour. That is the kind of experience that teaches you more about yourself than any self-help book ever could.

And I remember countless evenings at dhabas and homestays, sharing Maggi and chai with strangers who became friends within hours. The Himalayas have a way of breaking down barriers between people. On the road, nobody cares about your job title or your bank balance. All that matters is that you are here, sharing the same experience, breathing the same mountain air.

What Are the Top 6 Reasons Why I Keep Traveling?

After all these years, people sometimes ask if the excitement has faded. It has not. If anything, it has grown. I have written a detailed post about the top 6 reasons why I travel, but let me share the short version here.

The mountains keep changing. I have driven the Manali to Leh Highway dozens of times, and it is never the same road twice. New landslides, new diversions, new views after a fresh snowfall. The Himalayas are alive, and they keep surprising you.

The people you meet. From the dhaba owner in Sarchu who remembers your name from last year, to the truck driver who shares his lunch with you at a remote pass, the human connections on the road are what make it all worthwhile.

The feeling of self-reliance. When you have driven 500 km on broken roads, fixed a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere at 15,000 feet, and still made it to your destination before sunset, you feel a quiet confidence that no office achievement can match.

The reset. Every trip is a factory reset for the brain. You come back with fresh eyes, fresh energy, and a renewed appreciation for the ordinary things in life.

The responsibility. Knowing that thousands of travelers use my guides to plan their trips keeps me going. It is a responsibility I take seriously, and it motivates me to keep the information accurate and up to date.

The community. The DwD community has become like an extended family. Traveling together, sharing stories, helping each other, it gives meaning to everything I do on this blog.

Where Can You Start Exploring This Blog?

If you are new here, welcome to the family 🙂 Here are some good starting points depending on what you are planning.

Dheeraj Sharma

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Planning your first Himalayan road trip? Start with the introduction to Ladakh or the offbeat places in Himachal Pradesh guide. These will give you a solid foundation.

Worried about altitude sickness? Read my detailed guide on how to prevent AMS on your Himalayan trip. This is essential reading before any high-altitude journey.

Looking for a motorcycle adventure? Check out the guide to renting a motorcycle in Manali and the ultimate packing guide for long-distance motorcycle riding.

Want to travel responsibly? Start with our responsible travel guide and carry it as a mindset for every trip you take.

A Note to My Readers

I started this blog because travel made me feel alive. It gave me purpose, perspective, and a community that I never expected to build. Over the years, thousands of you have written to me saying that a guide on this blog helped you plan your dream trip, or that a safety warning saved you from a dangerous situation, or that the DwD community connected you with travel partners who became lifelong friends. Every single one of those messages is why I keep doing this.

So whether you are planning your first trip to the Himalayas or your fiftieth, know that this blog exists for you. Feel free to ask questions, share your experiences, and become a part of this community. We are all here because we believe in the same thing, that being alive, truly alive, is the most awesome thing there is 🙂

For trip planning help, discussions, finding travel partners, or just sharing your travel stories, join the DwD Community. You can also check the DoW Travel Calendar from the link in the Main Menu for upcoming group trips and events.

Happy travels, my friend. Stay safe, travel responsibly, and keep discovering 🙂 …

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Dheeraj Sharma and what is Discover With Dheeraj?

I am Dheeraj Sharma, an avid traveler and the person behind Discover With Dheeraj (formerly known as Devil On Wheels). I have been helping travelers plan trips to the Indian Himalayas since 2009. The blog now has over 700 detailed travel guides covering destinations like Ladakh, Spiti Valley, Kinnaur, Uttarakhand, and more. Everything on this blog is based on personal experience and verified, on-ground information.

Why was the blog called Devil On Wheels?

The name “Devil On Wheels” was my original blogging identity from 2009. It reflected my love for driving and motorcycle riding through the Himalayas. In 2023, I rebranded the blog to “Discover With Dheeraj” to better reflect the mission of helping travelers discover the Himalayas safely and responsibly. The old DeViL references you see on some pages are from that era.

What destinations does this blog cover?

The blog primarily covers Himalayan destinations in India, including Ladakh, Spiti Valley, Kinnaur, Lahaul, Manali, Uttarakhand (Garhwal and Kumaon), Pangi Valley, Sach Pass, and Shimla. I also cover destinations like Bhutan, Zanskar Valley, and seasonal road status updates for major Himalayan highways.

How can I join the DwD Community?

You can join the DwD Community through the Travel Circle link available in the main menu of the website. The community is a space for trip planning discussions, finding travel partners, getting itinerary reviews, and participating in group trips like the DoW Mega Meets. It is completely free to join.

Is the information on this blog still updated?

Yes, keeping information current is one of my top priorities. I regularly update posts with the latest road conditions, permit requirements, bus fares, accommodation prices, and safety information. Most guides include a “Last Updated” date so you can check how recent the information is. As of 2026, the blog is actively maintained with fresh updates across all major destination guides.

Can I contribute to Discover With Dheeraj?

Absolutely. The DwD community thrives on shared knowledge. You can contribute by sharing your trip reports, providing updated information about road conditions or fares, or simply by sharing the blog with fellow travelers who might find it useful. If you have valuable tips from a recent trip, feel free to share them in the comments section of the relevant guide or in the DwD Community forum.