The Trip That Changed Everything: My Journey Through India
Some trips give you beautiful pictures and great stories. Others change the way you see the world and your place in it.
My trip to India did both.
At the end of 2011, I traveled to India with one of my friends from high school, whose family lived there. Because we were staying with people who knew the country, its culture and its communities, I experienced India in a way I never could have through a traditional vacation. Her family welcomed me into their homes, treated me like one of their own and gave me an experience I will never forget.
It was a trip filled with history, delicious food, unforgettable adventures and extraordinary hospitality. It also opened my eyes to suffering in a way that profoundly changed me.
Experiencing the Taj Mahal
One of our first major stops was Agra, where we visited the Taj Mahal with a private tour guide.
Of course, I had seen photographs of the Taj Mahal before, but I had never really understood what it was. I remember being surprised to learn that this magnificent landmark is a mausoleum and possibly the most romantic gesture in history.
The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. Construction began the following year, and the main mausoleum was completed in 1648. Shah Jahan was later buried beside her. Today, the white-marble monument is recognized around the world as a symbol of enduring love.
It was incredibly romantic, tragic and beautiful all at once.
The Colder Side of Agra’s History
We also toured Agra Fort, a massive 16th-century red sandstone fortress that once served as an imperial city for the Mughal rulers. Inside its walls are palaces, audience halls, courtyards and mosques.
Monkeys wandered around the grounds, which was entertaining, but the human history behind the fort was much darker.
Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and confined at Agra Fort during the final years of his life. From the fort, he could look across the Yamuna River toward the Taj Mahal, the monument he had constructed for his wife. Tradition says that he spent his remaining years gazing at it from his place of confinement and went blind from his tears.
Standing there and imagining him looking toward the Taj Mahal was haunting. One part of Agra told a story of extraordinary love, while another told a story of power, betrayal and imprisonment.
Welcoming 2012 in New Delhi
I welcomed the year 2012 inside a mall in New Delhi, which was certainly not how I had pictured spending New Year’s Eve in India!
Throughout our travels, I drank fresh coconut water from street carts every chance I got. Between the coconut water, the spices, the chai and the endless variety of food, India completely opened my taste buds to a new world of flavors.
While in Delhi, we visited Raj Ghat, the memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. Its simple black-marble platform marks the location where Gandhi was cremated on January 31, 1948, following his assassination. The simplicity of the memorial stands in striking contrast to the enormous influence he had on India and the world.
Learning more about Gandhi’s commitment to nonviolence, service and social change stayed with me long after I left.
Treated Like Family in Jabalpur
We then traveled to Jabalpur, where one of my friend’s aunts lived.
When we arrived, her family greeted me with samosas, masala chai and even a massage. I could not believe how thoroughly they spoiled me! Everything was delicious, and their warmth made me feel completely at home.
Even the everyday routines were completely different from what I was accustomed to. Instead of taking a running shower, I took bucket baths. I would fill a bucket with water and pour it over myself to bathe. There was also no central heat in the home, so at night, the family filled hot-water bags with boiling water and placed them in our beds to keep us warm.
It was simple, practical and unlike anything I had experienced before. Yet I never felt deprived. I felt cared for. Their family made sure I was comfortable with what they had, and those small acts of hospitality meant so much to me.
That warmth is one of the things I remember most about India. I was visiting a country far from my own, yet I was repeatedly welcomed, cared for and treated like family.
Tigers, Jeeps and an Unexpected Elephant Ride
From there, we traveled to Bandhavgarh for an early-morning jeep safari in hopes of seeing wild tigers.
We did not see any.
Honestly, I was not too disappointed.
We were driving through the real wilderness in an open vehicle, and I quickly realized that I prefer my wild, potentially human-eating animals to be safely behind a very strong barrier! I was terrified, but it was still an incredible experience to explore their natural habitat.
The trip to Bandhavgarh also gave me one of my funniest travel memories.
During the drive, I fell asleep in the car. When we stopped for gas, I woke up and discovered they were offering elephant rides right there at the gas station. So within minutes, I went from sleeping in the car to riding an elephant in India.
It was such a random and hilarious moment and I wondered whether I was still dreaming.
Beaches, Piña Coladas and Cows in Goa
We also spent time in Goa, where we relaxed on the beach, drank piña coladas and enjoyed a completely different side of India.
One of the funniest things was seeing a cow casually resting on the beach as if it belonged there—which, in Goa, it apparently did. Throughout the trip, we saw cows and dogs roaming freely in so many places. It was unusual to me at first, but it quickly became part of the experience.
While exploring Goa, we also came across a beautiful church. The combination of beaches, tropical drinks, wandering animals and historic architecture made Goa feel unlike anywhere else we visited.
It was peaceful, colorful and wonderfully unexpected.
The Beauty and Heartbreak of Mumbai
We finished our trip in Mumbai, which many people still refer to by its former English name, Bombay.
Mumbai gave me some of the best Indian food I had ever tasted and some of the best shopping of the entire trip. It was exciting, colorful, busy and full of life.
It was also where I witnessed the worst poverty I had ever seen.
I saw babies and families living on the streets in conditions that were difficult for me to comprehend. Outside a McDonald’s, people desperately approached us asking for food. When someone attempted to help, more people came running, and eventually police became involved.
I felt overwhelmed and deeply disturbed...not by the people themselves, but by the desperation of their circumstances.
I had grown up with a clean home, safe drinking water, a roof over my head and more than enough food. I could not understand why I had been born into that security while an innocent baby somewhere else was born into hunger, danger and extreme poverty.
Why did I have so much while others had so little?
I could not stop thinking about it.
My Final Stamp of India
On our final day, my friend’s family hired a henna artist to create traditional bridal-style mehndi on our hands and feet.
The process took nearly four hours. The level of detail was unbelievable—every line, shape and pattern was created by hand with so much precision and patience. Once the designs were finished, we had to sit as still as possible and wait for the henna to dry, which felt almost as challenging as the four hours it took to apply!
I was uncomfortable, restless and definitely suffering a little by the end, but it was completely worth it.
I returned home with the intricate designs still covering my hands and feet. They felt like my own temporary stamp of India, a beautiful reminder of the culture, artistry and unforgettable experiences I was bringing home with me.
Returning Home as a Different Person
At the time, I was working as a gymnastics coach. When I returned home, I struggled to summon the same intensity over small technical corrections. It was difficult to yell at a gymnast to point her toes when I had just witnessed children living without food, sanitation or shelter on the other side of the world.
That did not mean gymnastics no longer mattered. It meant my perspective had changed.
Before traveling to India, I already knew I wanted to become a successful business owner. I wanted to create companies, earn money and build a meaningful life.
India gave me a deeper reason for doing it.
I began thinking less about what I could achieve solely for myself and more about what I could build that might help other people. I may not have the answer to ending world poverty—at least not yet—but I know I can make a difference within my own community.
That belief has influenced the mission behind nearly every company and project I have created. I want my work to help people feel stronger, more courageous, more supported and more capable of overcoming the obstacles in their own lives.
The phrase “be the change you wish to see in the world” is often associated with Gandhi. Whether through my businesses, my coaching or my daily interactions, I try to live out the principle behind those words: respect one another, help one another and love one another.
India gave me incredible food, beautiful landmarks, funny stories and memories I will treasure forever. More importantly, it awakened something in me.
It gave my ambition a greater purpose.
India will always hold a very special place in my heart because it was more than a vacation.
It was the trip that changed everything.