If you have missed Part 1, [read it here] before the sirens start. Now, let’s get back to Bhairahawa, where we left off…….

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We asked a shopkeeper what was happening. It was a police alert about a possible Maoist attack.

Everyone had to stay locked inside their homes, and no shops or public transport would be open. Tourists were advised to return to the border as soon as possible.

It was the first time I had witnessed anything like this. The tourists were panicking, but the locals seemed to treat it as routine. Some closed their shops in two or three minutes flat, as if they had trained for it.

Women scooped up their children from the street and hurried inside with their belongings, and doors were bolted one after another.

Watching it left me with a heavy feeling. This was daily life that people here had been forced to get used to.

With no transport available, we had no way to reach the border except on foot. Other tourists were setting off the same way, so we joined them.

Locals assured us that Maoists usually don’t target tourists, so we would be safe unless we got caught in crossfire.

They also urged us to leave immediately, since all hotels would soon shut their doors and only allow existing guests through the back gate.

So off we went, a few kilometers to the border, our shopping bags getting heavier with every step. We were terrified, and none of us said much.

It felt like we wouldn’t breathe properly until we crossed into India. Our legs wanted to give up, but we kept going. At the border, there was a long line, and after a tense wait, we finally made it to the other side.

We let out a long sigh, and I have never felt prouder than when I looked at our national flag that day.

We hopped on a bus headed to our city, and the moment we sat down, every phone that we had started buzzing at the same time.

Mine, my mother’s, my cousin’s; all of them started ringing and buzzing together. We were finally back in network range. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

I looked at my screen and froze: 87 missed calls, just on my phone. Even my phone looked tired.

We picked up and heard worried voices. Family and friends had been unable to reach any of us since the previous day.

My father in Dubai had called every relative in the city, and some of them who lived nearby had gathered at our house, ready to break down the door.

They thought there must be a gas leak or a robbery, and that we were lying unconscious inside. Why else would nobody pick up since yesterday?

And no one had seen us leave, because we had sneaked out very early on that cold winter morning. So, in their minds, it looked even more suspicious.

We stopped them just in time. “We went to Nepal for the weekend,” we confessed. “We didn’t think we needed to tell anyone as it was just a two-day trip.” I now know that was a mistake. We should at least have told my father.

But my mother’s logic was that he might have told us not to go, so it was better to tell him once we were back. Typical wifey move.

We never imagined it would end like this, and we got an earful from my father and a few relatives who had been genuinely worried.

We promised that we were safe and would be home in a few hours, since we were already on the bus. We exchanged glances and silently agreed that it had been a long, dreadful day. When we finally reached home, my cousin’s friend left immediately.

The four of us collapsed and took what I still believe was the longest nap of our lives.

That’s how our weekend went from a relaxing getaway to a full-blown adventure. Looking back, I laugh about it now.

We came home with scarves, shoes, cardigans, and a story we have been telling for years. The one thing I would change is a single phone call to my father.

And sometimes I still think of that teenage monk and his Justin Bieber playlist, calmly walking through it all.

Maybe he knew something we didn’t: life goes on, music stays loud, and the universe always sends you a little chaos to remind you to stay calm.

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Did you like this trip?

Tell me about the most unexpected moment from one of your journeys in the comments. And don’t forget to follow me for more travel stories!

Some trips are planned for months, with spreadsheets, packing lists, and at least three rounds of asking “are we really doing this?” This one was planned over a cup of tea, and the masterminds were my mother and my cousin.

My cousin had lived with us during his college days. One day, he casually suggested a short weekend getaway. My mother said yes before he could even finish the sentence.

That is how most of our family plans are born: no discussion, no backup plan, just a yes and a lot of confidence. This is how my mother usually rolls…..

It was 2011. I had just finished 12th grade and was taking a gap year before college, which basically meant my calendar was wide open, and my sense of responsibility was on vacation.

So when Mom asked my younger brother and me if we wanted to come along, we agreed instantly. Neither of us even asked where we were going.

The plan was to visit Lumbini, where seven monasteries, each built by a different country, honor Lord Buddha. Shopping along the way was also on the list. Honestly, the moment I heard the word “shopping,” I was sold. Monasteries were a bonus.

My cousin’s friend tagged along too, so that my cousin would have some company of his own age and wouldn’t be stuck with a family of chatterboxes.

We were so excited to reach the Nepal border, a three-hour drive from our city, that we told absolutely no one. That included my father, who was living in Dubai at the time.

Our logic seemed flawless: our SIM cards wouldn’t work once we crossed the border, so nobody could reach us anyway, and we would be back before anyone even thought of calling. (Foreshadowing, as they say.)

Winter had just begun, so we packed our woolens, cardigans, and shawls and left early in the morning. The roads were still wrapped in fog, the shops were only starting to lift their shutters, and the whole city looked half asleep.

We picked up my cousin’s friend on the way and left the city. I have a friend who lives near the border, and her family runs a business there.

She turned out to be a lifesaver. She exchanged our currency, patiently explained how to get to Lumbini, and made it all sound so simple that we suddenly felt like regular travelers.

For accommodation, my mother’s usual plan was to stay at a friend’s house, because Mom has a friend in every town on earth. This time, though, that friend was visiting family in India. So we decided to book a hotel for one night.

The next day we would go shopping and return to the border before it closed at 6 PM. Everything sounded so organized, which should have worried us.

At the border, Nepali police checked our ID cards, asked the purpose of our visit, and waved us through. There were no other formalities for us, since we were traveling by public transport.

Anyone with their own vehicle has to apply for a permit on the spot, which takes about 1 to 2 hours, so we were quietly proud to have skipped that waiting line.

Since time was short, we headed straight for the monasteries. A local bus rattled along the road, packed with locals and bags, and finally dropped us at the parking area of the main monastery.

There was one restaurant nearby, so we had lunch there. It was a simple place serving hot, local food, but after the long journey, it tasted like a five-star meal. We freshened up, planned our route, grabbed our cameras, and set off, feeling like explorers on a mission.

The path to the main monastery led through a jungle-like stretch with no proper pavement, just a narrow trail of trimmed grass cutting through tall greenery. The air was cool and smelled of damp earth and faint incense, which I am crazy about.

Along the way, we passed monks of every age, from tiny four-year-olds who looked far too small for their robes to grown men with calm, unreadable faces.

All of them wore deep red cloaks, and most had shaved heads. Everything felt calm and timeless, as if we had stepped into another century.

Then, out of nowhere, blasting music shattered the peace.

I turned around and saw a teenage monk strutting past us, phone in hand, playing Justin Bieber’s latest track, “Baby,” which was a massive hit back then.

He walked with so much swagger that he could have been on a runway. I stood there stunned, and then, oddly, I felt relieved. It was comforting to see that someone could stay committed to his vows and still enjoy being a teenager.

Somewhere between the incense and the Bieber, I decided this place was going to be fun.

Before visiting the monasteries, we first stopped at the Eternal Peace Flame. It is an eternal lamp that was lit on 1 November 1986 by Prince Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.

The flame was brought all the way from the United Nations in New York to mark the International Year of Peace.

We stood there for a few minutes, just looking at that small flame. It’s strange how something so tiny can make you feel so calm. We clicked a few pictures and started walking again.

Our first monastery was built by the Nepalese government, the place where Gautam Buddha was born. The grounds were gorgeous, full of colorful flowers and neatly kept gardens, with props arranged to bring that ancient era to life.

You could almost imagine the story unfolding right where you stood. We prayed, learned a bit of the history, clicked plenty of pictures, and moved on.

Next was the Indian monastery, close by. It was quiet and peaceful, filled with relics and decorative Buddhist artifacts that were a joy to look at.

I could have spent an hour studying the small details, but the clock was ticking, so I settled for a few lingering looks.

Then came the Korean monastery, which I had been most excited about, thanks to my growing obsession with Korean movies and music.

Sadly, it was still under construction, and we were only allowed onto the premises. Scaffolding, dust, and closed doors were all I got.

I took a picture of the temple board, sulked for a minute like a kid denied ice cream, and moved on. What else could I do?

The Chinese monastery, on the other hand, was a different story. It was huge, with enormous statues of their deities towering over us.

The designs were fascinating, from the expressions on the faces to the tiny, intricate details, and some of the finest handcrafted work I have ever seen.

There were so few visitors that it felt like the whole place had been cleared out just for me. Hahaha… that’s one thing I truly miss about traveling back then.

Today, every tourist spot is packed with people making reels and shorts instead of soaking in the beauty. Back then, you could actually enjoy a place in silence, listen to your own footsteps, and just be there.

The French monastery looked intriguing too, with a building that made all of us slow down and stare, but it was far away; we were tired, and the sun was nearly gone. The sky had turned a soft orange, and we knew better than to wander around unfamiliar territory after dark.

So we decided to head back to Bhairahawa and find a place to stay. By then, we were exhausted, having walked at least three times our daily step count.

Our feet were screaming, and nobody had the energy to discuss anything. We stood by the roadside, hopped down a bus, and checked into a lodge for the night.

After a quick meal, we all slept like logs and woke up at almost the same time the next morning, ready for the fun part: shopping.

We checked out and wandered into the Bhairahawa market, which was busy with shopkeepers calling out to customers and racks of colorful clothes swaying in front of their shops.

I found some beautiful, trendy winter wear and bought cute scarves and a pair of indoor shoes I absolutely loved.

My mother picked up a few cardigans, bargaining like a pro, with that look on her face that says, “I know the real price, so don’t try me.” We were browsing yet another shop, happily lost in the world of shopping, when we heard it.

A siren. Loud and long, blaring from a nearby loudspeaker.

Then another.

Within seconds, people were running in every direction. Shopkeepers were slamming their shutters, including the one whose shop we were standing in.

The market that had been so lively a minute ago was turning into a ghost town right in front of our eyes.

Something was very wrong, and we were a few kilometers from the border, holding bags full of shopping.

To be continued in Part 2……….Check my next story!

Our First Trip to Nepal (Part 1): Monks, Monasteries, and a Weekend Nobody Knew About was originally published in Digital Global Traveler on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I have recently left my job to focus more on myself, including my hobbies, mental and physical health, exploring new writing techniques, and overall personal growth.

I had been working as a content writer for the last four years, but I barely had time for myself, let alone writing any personal stories or putting the raw emotions I felt into words.

So now, I feel it is the perfect time for me to indulge in some writing for myself, whether it is sharing my travel stories or talking about some of my childhood memories.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of travelling to a few places where I experienced new emotions, explored various locations, had lots of fun, and got to make some of the best memories of my life.

When I was young, I also travelled with my family, but most of our trips were limited to religious places, which is pretty normal for Indian families.

We usually stayed at our relatives’ homes, and to my surprise, my mother always had at least one relative or friend in almost every tourist city.

She is a people person and loves making new friends, which she is really good at, considering how many people she can contact whenever we decide to visit a new place.

This is completely different from me, as I am mostly an introvert and can’t even ask for a refill at a restaurant when it is already included in the order.

My father has lived in Dubai since I was three years old, so when I passed my 10th grade, he invited my brother and me to visit him and stay for a month.

It was my first trip abroad, and God, we were so excited that we reached the airport 12 hours late because of some confusion about the time format.

I was devastated and started thinking that I wouldn’t be able to go and that it was some kind of evil destiny stopping me from going there.

Thankfully, everything was sorted out, and my father booked new tickets for us for the next day.

Since then, I have travelled to Dubai once every three or four years whenever I want to take a break from my studies or work.

I have been a travel enthusiast since I was 10 years old. This started because of all the Hollywood movies I watched after renting CDs from a video store.

I remember being completely mesmerised by all the new locations I saw, whether it was New York in Home Alone, London in Harry Potter, or the beautiful landscapes in Narnia and The Lord of the Rings movie franchises.

I love watching movies with beautiful locations, whether they have meadows, vibrant beaches, mysterious forests, big castles, skyscrapers, hills, or something else entirely. This is how I fell in love with places before I ever visited them.

For me, a perfect movie was always about more than just a good plot and acting. The locations where the scenes were shot were equally important to me.

I got so hooked that I started imagining myself as a character in those movies and travelling to those places as the story moved forward.

This is one of the reasons I loved historical dramas and movies so much. I got to see places that were ancient and, in many cases, no longer exist.

Even today, after leaving my job, I have one big fear: how will I travel now when I don’t have much savings left?

But I still have trust in myself and in the universe, and I believe I will find a way. I feel like whenever I travel to a new place, I get to know myself a little better. I understand myself more clearly than I did before. I think this is what travelling does to me.

So, in my upcoming blogs, I will share some of my travel stories, along with detailed itineraries, things to do, and things to avoid.

I am totally new to this, so if you like my stories, please show me some support. I have a lot of places to talk about and hopefully many more to explore.

See you in the next one…

Here is the list of the activities that you can do without getting confused anymore. So, let’s dive into it!

1. Become a ‘Master chef’ of your kitchen

Yes, you read it right! These days there are thousands of recipes available online. You can just select any of your favorite dishes, wear your apron and show your culinary skills. You can satisfy your cravings for pizzas, cakes, and many others by cooking yourself.

2. Unleash your creativity with ‘crafts’

When we were young most of us made greeting cards, pen stands, wall hangings, etc. Now it’s time to start it again. We can make scrapbooks, cardboard shelves, and photo frames which we can gift to our dear ones.

We can even recycle old boxes which are piled up with our huge number of Myntra or Amazon boxes. It also works as a stress-reliever!

3. Become a fashion influencer

Admit that you have spent hours watching make-up and styling tutorials of your favorite celebrities. Now that we have time, we can become one.

Just re-invent your old clothes, learn some make-up tricks, grab a good quality megapixel camera and just get ready to show your talent to the world.

4. Polish your literary skills by reading books worldwide

If you are a book lover like me, then it’s the best time to continue it again. By reading books not only do we entertain ourselves but we acquire knowledge about the content and the language as well.

Now there is an option for free online reading too if you don’t want to purchase books. It will help in keeping command over your grammar and you will learn more new words.

There are books available in different genres so just pick your favorite book and a quiet area with proper lighting and start reading.

5. Try your hands in ‘content-writing’

There are many “work from home” internships available seeking content writers. If you enjoy writing captions or articles then you should surely check this out.

You can search for companies that are asking to write blogs or articles on different topics from technology to fashion and you would get some pocket money too.

6. Enrol yourself in online ‘courses’

This is the best time to utilize developing a new skill by enrolling yourself in free or paid courses. It can be career-related skills or your branch/subject related like MS office, coding, communication skills, etc.

Online Ed-tech companies such as Khan Academy, Udemy, or companies providing one on one online mentorship programs like NxtDecade offers a huge number of courses that you can start with.

So, without wasting your valuable time learning these skills to shine in your Resume and stood out from others.

7. Learn a new ‘foreign language’

You can increase your chances of getting hired if you speak multiple languages. Top multi-national companies are seeking candidates who can speak the languages of their native country.

Though as an Indian we are already blessed with being a ‘bilingual or trilingual, we could still learn other foreign languages like German, French, Mandarin, Japanese, etc.

This will also pave our way to get admissions to colleges of non-English speaking countries which offer a variety of courses with good placement.

You can work as a ‘translator’ and earn a generous amount of pay while exploring different cultures and traditions.

8. Take care of your ‘body’

Because of our busy schedules, we avoid taking care of our bodies. Our mind and body are interconnected with each other.

We could do meditation, long walks, or even Zumba dance; no doubt it will help in proper blood circulation. We can use this time to nourish our bodies by flushing out all the toxins.

9. Involve yourself with ‘mother nature’

People who are living in cities or towns don’t spend much time with nature. We should link ourselves with nature as much as we can with the help of gardening. You can even grow a kitchen garden on your balcony. It is very relaxing as well as soothing.

Researchers claim that it plays a key role in dealing with stress. So, what are you waiting for, just start growing your favorite plants or flowers and take care of them as your baby?

10. Watch movies of every ‘genre’

Yes, I am talking about movies. Watching movies is everyone’s favorite but usually, we build a border around us by sticking with one or two genres.

There are millions of options available from where we can select any genre from ‘classic’ to ‘adventurous’ or from Netflix to short movies. There are many great foreign movies available that impart life lessons while entertaining us.

Thank you for reading this.