The 1000 km ride
In here, You can find about the trip that was around 1700 km and we made all this happen in 5-6 days
Hey Friends —
These are the toughest times and we are stronger than ever; we just have to be stronger for a while more. Speaking of being stronger I was not this person 8 months from now and let me tell you this story because I feel it needs to be said not because it made me feel something but for appreciating people who made me who I am today. Change doesn't come in a day; it comes from the smallest of things we do. Everyone leads us to believe that hoping for the big future will help us reach where we want to go.
I realized the change we bring in the smaller things to achieve the big future is what makes us better as a person.
This is going to be a three-part series, The first post is how I came to the city which I fell in love with just because of the calmness it offered.
Before all that, I was just an engineering student trying to fit in just like any student. Trying to get a life which will make their parents proud of which will get them what they want. I am one of them. I went into engineering because I wanted to. I wanted my independence to do what it feels right to do.
It was our fourth year and engineers get campus placements and I wanted to get in  on one of them and I went to give 15-20 interviews, which is not very much as a starter but first time in the real world made me feel like I'm useless because I wasn't getting any calls saying I'm hired.
It made me realize what it feels to actually accept a no and its hard but after a lot of interviews I got a job at Infosys and if you don't know Infosys give their young and fresh talents brush up or train them at Mysore and that made me feel so good. My parents were much happier than me. In fact, it was their plan to go on a road trip across Karnataka to Chikmagalur, Madikeri and finally Mysore to drop me on a fresh start in my life.
I know it sounds like a small trip but the trip was around 1700 km and we made all this happen in 5-6 days I guess.
This plan started as my joining date was January 20, we thought we'll start by 15th and on 19th we'll be at Mysore.
everything was planned and on 15th we started and it was early morning put on a beautiful playlist of regional music and few foreign albums because my brother and I were in the front seats...
we started at around 4 in the morning and reached that same day to  Chikmagalur at 6 in the evening this whole journey was a bit rough because the roads were under construction and all were bumpy roads which made my mom sick and honestly she was having the hardest time staying in that car.
But we managed to reach and find a hotel and checked in, took a good rest and the next morning we headed to Hirekolale lake, which was just a lake with a red hut type of extension into the river where we walk and sit. nothing else but the serene waters and the extending mountain ranges help you find your peace. We clicked a lot of pictures, well actually I did because that's something I like to do...is clicking pictures!
So after this peaceful site, We travelled around and visited a few places and in the evening took a walk around the city....and had their street foods and rested for an early start to Madikeri the next day.
Now, being in Hyderabad or Chennai didn't make me ever introduced me to foggy roads and the wild cold it starts in the early mornings because that's exactly what happened and the road was impossible to drive because of the fog and windshield covering itself and not letting us move forward. Â So we stopped for a bit and took a lot of pictures and were at the moment enjoying our time together.
Then we headed to Madikeri. on the way, we saw this beautiful place and stopped. it was a temple alongside a bridge connecting two villages and the view from there was just mind-calming and letting me know one thing that no matter what people you are with and their affections matter.
So we reach Madikeri, it was another beautiful location. it was a small city with all in small roads where cars necessarily didn't fit in but we still managed to go in and roam around.
first went to the king's view park, it is given that name because some king of the past would sit there and just enjoy the nature. which was so wide and awesome.
To explain what I felt have you ever swam underwater. It felt the exact same way but instead of water, it was the greenery and cold air making you feel as if you were floating.
Then went to abbey falls and the church and to the fort of the king which just made me think how beautiful world can be when you start noticing.
It was 17th already and we realized we don't need to stay in Madikeri if we just start our travel to Mysore and spend two days with some resting time. So we just agreed and started our drive to Mysore. I might not be explaining this very well because I can't but you can say those drive all the way from hometown to Mysore to join at Infosys training programme was therapeutic to me. steering wheel, music unending roads, people who you care about and clicking pictures; that's all I ever wanted.so by the time I reached Mysore, I hit my first 1000 km ride all by myself. yes, you heard it I drove 1000 km in three days which I feel is like the best moment of my life.
Then in Mysore, the next day went to Mysore palace and fell in love with its architecture and ornaments, history is there for a reason. Its for us to realize how far we have come and what knowledge has been passed on!
I think the city passed on some better things down the line, like the cultural richness and the cities air has some peaceful vibe to it....although not all people are like that still...its good to think a glass half full kind! we just went around and visited malls and had a meal in a restaurant near Mysore palace, the khuska and chicken curry which was lip-smacking. I can say, it was the best food of that trip and on the next day it was my day of joining and I was excited to this because I promised myself to change myself to be a better man before joining and since I came back from there I think I changed at least 20 per cent and that change is more to remind me I can be who  I am with just my confidence and hard work!
so we reached, the Infosys Mysore campus and it was so beautiful, like the campus infrastructure aside the air has a freshness which makes you walk instead of using the cycles there to mobile from one point to other.
This 1000km ride was nothing but a way to remind what I was going to do for the next 4-5 months to get me started in a world with competition in every aspect. This 1000km ride taught me it's not about the competition but the journey.
All these pictures are clicked by me and are on my Instagram page, You can check it out in my contacts.
The later days in Mysore, I enjoyed every single day, met some amazing people made few great friends who are much closer than I ever imagined and I even stayed for a little longer because of lockdown and everything but more on that in my next post until then subscribe to me to get notification of the next post. This is the end to the first post of three-part blog about Infosys and my stay there.
Until then keep creating what makes you happy and be safe.
You can read more essays on introspection and reflection of certain topics and what can we learn by clicking the card below: