Afeedha Sherin’s eyes light up when she speaks about traveling. “Since I was a child, I’ve had this dream to travel,” she says, her voice steady with conviction. Born into a traditional family from Malappuram, Kerala, Afeedha’s passion for exploring the world took root early, inspired by seemingly small yet powerful moments. However, her dream wasn’t one that could be easily realised, especially in a family that was financially weak. Yet, against all odds, she made it happen, a journey of saving every penny and battling every fear to fulfill her dream of traveling solo to Himachal Pradesh.
The first seeds of travel were sown in her mind when she was in the 6th standard. Her brother casually mentioned that the family might visit Himachal during their vacation, and young Afeedha’s curiosity got the better of her. Grabbing her cousin’s phone, she searched for pictures of Himachal Pradesh. “I melted at the sight of it,” she recalls. The breathtaking landscapes seemed like a dream, and in that instant, her heart was set on visiting the place. But her brother had been teasing, and no trip to Himachal materialised. Nevertheless, the dream was firmly planted in her mind.
Coming from a modest background, Afeedha knew that a trip to Himachal was a distant dream if she didn’t take matters into her own hands. She started saving whatever little money she could get, whether it was gifts during festivals or money from selling her drawings. She even earned money by playing Kho-Kho in competitions. Every rupee was a step closer to her Himachal adventure.
At 13, she realized that she needed to prepare herself not just financially but practically. One major step was learning Hindi. “I was sure that one day I would go to Himachal, and I needed to know Hindi to navigate,” she says. She set herself a clear goal: by the time she was 18, she would travel to Himachal.
As the years passed, Afeedha became more determined. “I didn’t study hard just to pass exams or get into a good college,” she admits. “I studied to travel.” Her interest in architecture was also rooted in her passion for exploring. “I thought if I became an architect, I could travel for work and explore different places.” After her 12th standard, she attempted the JEE entrance exam twice, despite everyone around her doubting her abilities. She stuck a piece of paper on her wall that read, “I will be in Delhi.” And she made it happen.
When she received her acceptance letter and moved to Delhi for her studies, Afeedha took every opportunity to travel. She visited Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab multiple times with her friends. But despite the joy of exploring new places, something didn’t feel quite right. She realized that her way of experiencing the world was different from her friends'. “I don’t want to see places as a tourist; I want to experience them as a traveler,” she says. “I want to explore every corner, connect with the locals, and see the real soul of a place.”
It was this desire that led her to plan her first solo trip to Himachal. The urge to go had been gnawing at her for years, but something always came up. Sometimes it was landslides; other times, family emergencies. Even after completing her second year of college, when she finally had a long vacation, her phone broke, preventing her from travelling. But when her sister gifted her a new phone, hope reignited, and Afeedha knew the time had come.
Booking a train ticket from Malappuram to Delhi was easy. But as the departure day neared, Afeedha was gripped by a sense of fear. “I thought maybe the universe was warning me,” she admits. The fear of the unknown loomed large. But with her family’s support, she mustered the courage to board the train. As she sat on the train, gripping her bag tightly, she was overwhelmed by emotions. Tears streamed down her face, but she refused to let fear hold her back. “I battled that fear and continued my journey,” she says.
Once in Delhi, she had no concrete plan, just a vague idea that she wanted to reach Spiti Valley, a place that wasn’t overrun with tourists. As she sat in her room in Delhi, still battling doubts, she met a group of boys who suggested she travel with them to a village near Kasol. But Afeedha was determined to go solo. “If I went with them, I would fall back into my comfort zone,” she explains. Instead, they helped her book a bus to Recong Peo in Himachal Pradesh, and with that, she was on her way.
Her journey to Himachal was not without challenges. The fear she had initially felt didn’t entirely leave her. “People think I’m fearless,” she says. “But I’m not. Even now, after two solo trips, I’m still scared to walk from college to my hostel in Delhi.” Her friends often teased her, wondering how someone so fearful could travel solo. But Afeedha never let her fears stop her. She was determined to reach her dreams, no matter what.
When she finally boarded the bus to Himachal, she cried tears of joy. “I was nearing my dream,” she recalls. The next morning, she woke up to find herself on the floor of the bus, having fallen when the bus took a sharp turn during a break. “I feel like it was a push from the universe,” she laughs. And just like that, she had arrived in Shimla.
From Shimla, she made her way to Recong Peo, a quiet town famous for its apple orchards. The journey was exhilarating yet daunting. She didn’t even know how to book a room, so she relied on the advice of local women she met along the way. With a budget of just Rs. 8000 for 17 days, Afeedha made every rupee count. “People think you need a lot of money to travel, but that’s not true,” she says. “If you travel like a traveler, not a tourist, you don’t need much.”
Throughout her travels, safety was a constant concern. Afeedha always carried pepper spray and a knife, sleeping with them nearby. She also developed a strategy: she never told anyone she was traveling alone. “I would always say a friend was joining me the next day or that I had relatives nearby,” she says. This gave her an added sense of security.
One of the most harrowing moments of her journey came while hitchhiking to Chitkul, a remote village in Himachal. After accepting a ride, she quickly realized that the driver’s behavior was unsettling. They were traveling along a deserted, dangerous route, and the man’s actions only heightened her fears. Trembling, she held onto her pepper spray, ready to defend herself. In a moment of desperation, she broke down, begging the driver not to harm her. Thankfully, her vulnerability touched him, and he dropped her off safely at a nearby stop.
Despite the dangers, Afeedha continued her journey, relying on her instincts and the kindness of strangers. She met an Israeli group in Chitkul, made friends with locals, and explored Spiti Valley before finally returning to Delhi.
Reflecting on her journey, Afeedha is filled with pride. “I’m so proud of my younger self,” she says, thinking back to the 13-year-old girl who dreamed of Himachal and saved every penny for this trip. “Manifestation is the key.”
Her dream didn’t just end with Himachal. Afeedha’s next dream is to swim with whales a dream she has already sketched in her book. “It might sound insane,” she smiles, “but I’m hoping to make that happen too.”
Afeedha Sherin’s story isn’t just about fulfilling a dream. It’s about resilience, courage, and the determination to live life on one’s own terms. In her words, “The hardest part is leaving, but that’s what travelers do.” She doesn’t want to settle anywhere, and her spirit, ever-curious and ever-hopeful, keeps her moving forward.