How Padmavati Took an Early Retirement to do Treks for the Rest of Her Life

"Six years ago, I was completely lost in my work life and I had no time to look around at other things besides that.

I wanted to bring a shift, due to which I found my own way to spend some amount of time with nature.

It used to give me a cooling effect. I used to feel alive in those moments.

My husband noticed this change and he somehow came across Indiahikes online. He told me about it immediately.

I thought I’ll look it up sometime during my lunch break at the office.

It was back in 2015 when I was sitting at my office desk during lunchtime and I visited the website. In those 5 minutes, I was bowled over!

It didn’t take much time for this to become a lunchtime ritual. I used to go to the website and read about different treks.

Since I was working in a PSU, my life was very hectic. I couldn’t imagine taking out time to go on treks.

Thoughts of early retirement started looming around my head and I just kept looking for ways to make it happen.

It feels so surreal to believe that two years ago I turned this dream into a reality. I took my early retirement to go and explore treks!

My first trek post-retirement was Triund. After that, I booked a trek with Indiahikes to the Valley of Flowers. I couldn’t go there due to some family emergency.

Finally, I did my first trek with Indiahikes in 2019! It was the Hampta Pass trek.

Going on the trek, and more than that preparing for it, changed the way I looked at fitness.

I started cycling, jogging and doing yoga on a regular basis.

Watching me, my husband also developed an interest in trekking and then he did the Sandakphu trek with Indiahikes in March.

Indiahikes opened up a new chapter in my life of high altitude trekking.

I recently did the Kashmir Great Lakes trek solo with Indiahikes.

Never in my life had I imagined this version of me who is so confident to take such bold steps in life.

My upcoming adventure is already set to go for the Sandakphu trek in October.

Years later, I am still as bowled over about the idea of going on treks as I was the first time back in 2015.”

- Padmavati, Indiahikes Trekker