Visiting India for the first time was a genuinely transcendent experience. It widened my perspectives on travel and the world we live in. India is easily the most chaotic, and intense (on all the senses) country I’ve been to. It’s also possibly taught me more than any other country how to deal with unexpected situations when travelling.

I first visited India back in 2009 with my then-boyfriend, Matt. We did not have a gentle introduction to India. Within an hour of being in India, we were effectively being kidnapped in the back of a small car weaving through Delhi’s chaotic traffic in monsoon rain.

Matt, Fiona, Rob and I exploring the mountains near Manali in Himachal Pradesh

We fell for the classic Delhi Airport prepaid taxi scam. We were shown a number of apparent terrorist attack sights and some roadblocks before being told we would have to go to another hotel.

What followed was a night in a random, expensive hotel followed by several tuk tuk rides to our booked hotel which somehow inexplicably always ended up at travel agencies and fake calls to our booked hotel to confirm it was cancelled.

We eventually got to our hotel. It was open.

This was the first lesson India taught me. This experience taught me how to properly assert myself when travelling. It gave me a sixth sense about who to trust and who to not trust when travelling.

Thinking about it, India has taught me many invaluable lessons.

India taught me how to survive for 24 hours on a train with food poisoning. It’s amazing how quickly you get used to squatting toilets and a view of the railway tracks whizzing past.

India also taught me how warm and wonderful people can be when you trust them. We stayed with a retired Indian Army colonel and his wife in Jaipur. They cared for me through this horrible bought of food poisoning by making special turmeric-infused dishes to help me feel better.

India taught my about how unfair an unequal our world is. It taught me how incredibly privileged and lucky I was to grow up in a developed country with no worries about where my next meal was coming from, or whether I could afford to go to school.

India taught me how to properly enjoy genuinely spicy food. It taught me to truly appreciate vegetarian food, and also that it can easily be tastier than the meat alternative. The food in India hit taste levels I could never have dreamt of.

Enjoying a tuk tuk ride with Charli and Oli in Kochi, Kerala

I travelled back to India in 2016 for a close friend’s wedding. India was just as vibrant, chaotic and wonderful. This time I was blown away at how generous and kind people can be. Shankar and his family who were hosting the wedding welcomed us into their lives and laid on the most generous and warm reception. They even provided my outfit for the wedding.