It took 11 years and almost 200 trips for me to lead my first All-Girls trip. Of course it wasn’t planned like that. Twas a coincidence. 

5 girls and me in Peru.

I was a bit worried, before it all started. Would they have fun? It was such a small group. Would there be enough banter, enough madness? Plus, I was ill when I landed in Lima, having been in Antarctica for almost 2 weeks previously. 

I can truthfully say, at the end of these 10 days, it’s arguably my favourite trip of the year.

From the time we would wake up, till we slept off, we spent every moment together. We swam with seals in the ocean, we kayaked in creeks in the Amazon, we climbed up a 50 foot tree & walked across a shaky canopy bridge. 

We met a native indigenous family deep in the jungle & danced with them; we wore identical colourful shawls & played with lamas & alpacas. 

We trekked up Machu Picchu, one of the most iconic and beautiful monuments in the world!!

I’m so proud of these girls. 3 of them are below 29 years, & look at them – coming so far from their homes!! And the other two? Debbie has done 40 plus countries. And Chaitra taking care of everyone while pursuing her own dreams. 

Each one of them, choosing to live life on their own terms, wearing their hearts on their sleeves. These girls trekked at altitudes of 15000 plus feet while it snowed, walked through jungles, jumped into oceans.

But above all of this, we talked, we laughed, we shared. For hours. Every minute. In jungle lodges, in shady Pollerias, in boats, in forests, in town squares, in our hotels. 

Not once did I see even one of them fuss. Not one person gossiped about anyone else. Not one person complained about the heat, or the cold, or anything. There was no grumbling over bills. 

There was only enthusiasm to do, try everything.

When Yuki was afraid of the night jungle safari (she’s scared of insects & well Amazon has millions), one of the girls held her hand the whole time. We saw tarantulas, glowing scorpions, gigantic spiders. 

Anshika had booked a single room for herself on the trip. But we all bonded so much, that every evening and night, when we were back at the hotel, we would all be plonked on her bed, till the wee hours of night. 

How much we talked, how much we laughed.

These girls constantly lifted each other, pushed each other, cheered for each other. While I played roast master, they would always have each other’s back. 

Yesterday, I was supposed to leave a few hours earlier than the others. Three of them cancelled the day’s itinerary just to spend some time with me before I left. I kept telling them to go, but they didn’t.

And now, as I am sitting in my flight, I am missing all of them. It took 11 years and almost 200 trips for me to lead my first All-Girls trip.

And how lovely it was.

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