The Time I Swapped the Train for the Bus and Actually Survived

After a long time, I am back with a day in my life update! Today, I want to discuss my very first long distance bus trip.

Back in my college days, I used to wonder why on earth people chose long distance bus travel over trains especially when train tickets were available. I never bothered taking a bus back then. But last month, after a painful train journey from Delhi where my train was delayed by two hours, I decided enough was enough. It was time to shorten my travel time and give the bus a shot.

My journey started with a 20 minute trip down to Rishikesh. Since I am used to this route, it was easygoing and did not tire me out at all.

As soon as I reached Rishikesh, I saw a Haridwar bound bus pulling away. If I had arrived just two minutes earlier, I would have caught it! Instead, I had to stand there playing the waiting game for about five to ten minutes. I stopped checking the clock out of respect for my sanity. Finally, another bus arrived, and the 45 minute trip to Haridwar began.

Once in Haridwar, the real hunt started: finding a bus to Delhi that was actually moving and not just sitting there pretending to leave. Luck was on my side! The moment I sat down, the bus started rolling right at 10:00 AM. The conductor promised I would reach Delhi by 5:00 PM.

It turned out to be a surprisingly smooth ride. I scored the best seat (according to me) which was the seat directly behind the driver, that gave me endless legroom. A family sat beside me for part of the trip, but they hopped off after a few stops, leaving me with extra room.

Everything was going great until we hit a minor snag. We got stuck in traffic for quite a while near a festival venue. Food stalls, crowd pleasing shorts, and people casually wandering into the middle of the road had completely clogged the street. Despite the mini traffic jam, we reached the Kashmiri Gate ISBT in Delhi by 4:00 PM, an hour late by what was promised to me!

However, my victory was short lived because finding the Metro station inside the chaos of ISBT felt like a quest in a game. People kept giving me conflicting directions and sending me in circles. Finally, a kind lady who actually knew her way around pointed me in the right direction. Navigating the bus terminal was not easy, but once I figured out the signs, it was smooth sailing.

I boarded the metro, took a much needed short nap, and before I knew it, my stop arrived.

The long journey finally came to an end as I walked through my front door. It was a long, tiring day, but arriving home makes every bit of travel hassle worth it. Mom had planned a surprise feast for my visit, which, honestly, is not much of a surprise anymore because moms always do that! The feast began with a south Indian dish called Appam and stew.

Nothing beats the warm, comforting feeling of being back home. To everyone reading this who is currently away from home: I hope you get to make your own trip back real soon. And for those at home, enjoy a wonderful holiday with friends and family!