Finally!!! We ARE making it happen! WE are doing it together ♥
Finally booked us for a MOTORCYCLE trip to the ‘claimed‘ highest motorable pass in the world, an exciting 10-day motorcycle journey from Manali to Leh in the foothills of Himalayas in Kashmir!
An item off the bucket list? Naah, not at all… It’s more of an adventure-seeking couple fulfilling dreams.
We had kind of paused our thrilling experiences since the most overwhelming and yet the most amazingly beautiful adventure of our lives – Parenthood!! Yes, I called it “most amazing” as it’s gonna be a while before Armaan becomes a teenager in the US!!! 😉
The intense excitement of going on this trip is giving me goosebumps as I’m writing this blog post on my routine 5½ hour flight back home from Phoenix… It’s reminding me of our totally unplanned half cross-country road trip from Houston to NJ in August 2011, but on steroids! What was a bucket list item during that trip was riding our motorcycle on the Tail of the Dragon, but now that experience is re-igniting us to keep doing it again-and-again, like those recurring outlook invites! We can’t wait for our lil champ to be comfortable with his motorcycle –
It’s been a while since Gopi and I did something this adventurous, but I have to say, it was so commendable for Gopi to get her US motorcycle license last summer (2016), and now we’re moving on to an introductory pilot lesson on my birthday next weekend.
It’s a very happy and wonderful feeling to be able to share similar adventurous passion with your significant other – not many people can brag about it!
Originally Gopi wanted me to do it as my “own thing”, but when she expressed excitement to join during our usual long-distance phone call when I was in Phoenix, I couldn’t contain my joy. I couldn’t sleep just thinking about the us transcending back to our dating and honeymoon phase. I love enjoying the roller-coaster life with you, babe – you always keep it interesting 😉 For all the family members reading this, NO, there is no plan for a second kid – Armaan will be the one and only… 🙂
On this tour, we’re not going with too many expectations – the excitement is so much that we just want to soak it as it comes along. Even if we have a couple of experiences similar to the Exhilarating Ride we had while going towards the Tail of the Dragon, we’ll be ecstatic (check out that blog post).
This trip certainly will be a challenging feat riding on unpaved trails (including some water streams) and living in make-shift tent hotels in quite cold temperatures, while battling to not get AMS (acute mountain sickness) due to lack of oxygen at 15,000-18,000 feet above the water level…. Par hosla buland hai – I know we’re not going on a war, just got carried away 🙂 – btw, speaking of which, hope to not run in to any insurgents or terrorists in Kashmir!
A Big Shout Out to:
- Armaan – you are the most amazing kid ever! Most parents cannot even fathom the thought of leaving their 4-year-old even for a couple of days, and we do not even have to think twice to leave you with Ba-Dada away from Gopi for 5 weeks and from me for 3 weeks. We’re truly blessed to have you — please always stay this awesome (and please read this again when you’re a teenager 😉 ). We’re so gonna miss you and I’m sure we’ll end up just talking about you the whole trip; we just hope and pray that you do not suffer any asthma flares during this time! When you grow up to ride your own motorcycle comfortably, we promise to go on such similar trips together.
- Ketna-Hemal – since Armaan’s birth, we’ve just been jointly parenting him with you Mummy-Pappa. Not once did we ever have to think twice leaving Armaan with you when Gopi and I go for our activities and events. We’ve completely relied on you for his remarkable upbringing and if he even remotely grows up to be like me, then we’ll be proud… LOL, jk 🙂
- Gaurav Jani, Ride of My Life – you’re THE MAN! A true inspiration for dreamers to follow their passions. Your experience riding solo to the top of the world inspired you to start Ride of My Life, which is now encouraging thousands others like us to have a similar experience! Can’t wait to meet you to learn from your experiences…
- IndianMotorcycleRiders Meetup Group for doing this trip in 2016 and making other riders like me dream about it.
- Hiren Vadhiya – a great friend and ‘our-dedicated-photographer’, who’ll tag along with us for this incredible experience.
Stay tuned and follow the #rideofourlife to the #topoftheworld journey in July 2017.
I do not think we’ll have voice or network connectivity throughout the trip, but we’ll try to continue documenting the experience and sharing videos and photos as and when possible.
Feel free to provide comments and wishes below…
Wow, this is awesome… great that you guys are doing it together! You’re sure to come back with great memories for lifetime!
Good luck buddy! I’m sure this will be a memory for life time. Cherish it!
Let me start by saying …my jaw just dropped!! You know how much I love to ride yet I would not have dreamt of doing this.. yet in a year Gopi is ready to join you on such an exhilarating extreme adventure is simply mind boggling!! Thy said I am super excited for you two
Lovebirds. Good luck! Keep posting… can’t wait to hear allllllll about it when you guys get back. And Armaan is a super cool kid to let you guys off the hook for something like this:-) Jao Jee lo Zindagi … live it and inspire the rest of us!!
Wishing you guys good luck for an awesome adventure. This will be a great achievement for lifetime.
Niket and Gopi , our blessings and best wishes are always with you guys . You just go and fulfill your adventures trip . Enjoy your Motorcycle ride fully and come back with most memorable and adventures trip
You guys are rock stars !!! Have an awesome time and be safe. Share all the experience & pictures 😊👍🏼
Wish you a wonderful adventure experience… the way you wrote, now even I want to join 😊 – keep riding and keep blogging!!!!
Good luck to both of you on this adventure ride! Can’t wait to hear about your journey and experience!
Have a awesome time!!! Be safe!!! Share lots of good memories!!!
Woohoooo! Have a wonderful trip guys!! Can’t wait to hear all about it when you guys are back. Wish you all the best!
Woooooooohooooooo! Man o Man! This is so thrilling to even read leave alone riding through the valley with unbelievable view on your way up north. My best wishes to you & Gopi, make this a fantastic trip! Pretty sure you’re going to hold this trip as one of the memorable event in your lives, eagerly waiting to hear by on the stories you may have at large when you’re back 🙂
Good luck both of u nd send d picture nd enjoyyyyyyyy!!!!!!
Amazing!! Good luck guys and will catch up once you are back to hear all wonderful experiences that you will have to share!
It will be an experience of a lifetime and a eye opener for us ‘dar-pokes’ 🙂 Love you two so ride safe and we will be waiting to see all the updates. Armaan – you can come stay with chacha chachi Reh and Jay while mummy and daddy are away. Please come!!!
Adventurous awesome couple that u guys are…. Will be waiting for the updates and wishing you guys a wonderful safe trip…
Thanks a lot everyone for such great wishes and kind words 🙏… Will surely have some interesting and memorable stories to share when we return… Keep following the blog for the updates 👍
Nicely written blog and sounds like a exciting adventurous trip!!! All the very best to both of you!!! Looking forward to some good pics of the upcoming trip.
That sounds very exciting! Hats off to you guys for braving this kind of once in a lifetime adventure! Enjoy the wonderful journey and make life time of memories! Don’t forget to call us when you reach there!
Wow ! Just by reading it gave me a goosebumps… I can imagine how thrilling and exciting this is going to be . Wishing you guys lots of luck and a lot of fun . We will be checking your blog for the updates and pictures 🙂
Enjoy you two !!!!!!
Best Wishes Niket and Gopi. Hope it’s going to be a great adventrous experience for both of you. Have a fun!
Gopi-Niket, Have a fun filled adventureous trip!! Best wishes and stay safe guys.
Niket and Gopi,
Kudos to you guys and the entire Parikh family. Our love ❤️, best wishes and blessings are always with you guys. Will look forward to hearing about this awesome trip. Our love for Armaan and regards to your parents.
And Niket, happy birthday dude !!