Some people fear the unknown; I chase it. Bungee jumping over 
waterfalls; zip lining through the rainforest; climbing barefoot in the mountains of Peru… adventure is my True Nature and it’s something I’ve pursued with eagerness and joy since I was a young girl.
Most of my adventures tend to be outward facing. I’m frequently pursuing the kind of adventures that will make my heart beat faster and cause my parents to shake their heads and wonder how they ended up with such a free spirit for a daughter. However, my recent trip to India brought with it a different kind of adventure.
My two weeks in India appear fairly tame at first glance. I spent a lot of time visiting different retreat centers and exploring potential partners for True Nature Travels. My excursions consisted of trips to ashrams and gorging myself on naan and mango; hardly the type of activities that lead to an adrenaline rush. And yet, if there’s one thing I have learned from a life of travel, it’s that adventure is often found where you least expect it.
India is known for being what many travelers have coined a “sensory overload.” Between the constant onslaught of horns, the overwhelming aroma of curry, and the endless rainbow of vibrant textiles, it’s easy to lose yourself in the infinite stimuli of India.
But beneath all that is a layer of peace and stillness that beckons to those seeking a deeper adventure. Only, it’s not an adventure in the typical sense. It’s an adventure of Self.
There is a rich history of spirituality in India. Yogis, Sufis, Muslims, 
Christians, and Hindus alike have dominated the Indian religious scene at one point or another and it has caused a spiritual playing field to be born in India that pulses with the energy left behind by thousands of mystics and gurus. For those who are open to it, India is a country ripe with transformative power.
I have visited India two times now, and both trips have been dominated by an inner exploration I did not expect and was hardly ready for. Both visits have led me down paths full of spiritual questioning and self-exploration. In India, I explored a different sort of unknown. Not the unknown I was used to, namely, some thrilling question mark beyond the river bend. But rather, an inner unknown; an unexplored piece of my own Self.
Enter India as an adventurer and you’ll be amazed by the journeys you may embark on.
Keep the spirit of curiosity, the open mind, and the thrill at the unknown that characterize an adventurer and you’ll quickly learn that spiritual seeker and adventurer are more synonymous than you may have once thought. Approach India with an open heart and a receptive mind and before you know it, you’ll be on an adventure unlike any you could have ever dreamed of.
About the Author
Sarah Dittmore, the Director of Operations at True Nature Travels, is always seeking a new adventure. When she’s not barefoot hiking in the mountains of Peru, kayaking around an island off the coast of Italy, or camping in a rainforest in Costa Rica, Sarah writes about her adventures on her travel blog, Autobiography of an Adventurer. Join her as she travels the world and documents the wild and wonderful things she discovers along the way at www.autobiographyofanadvent
