Unplanned Friendship Stories

As a trekking group, you always astonish us with the relationships and the inspiring friendship stories you create. We have seen that in the past years. This friendship day, we decided to cherish it, and make it all about you!. So we invited a lot of the trekkers who went on a trek with us to share their stories of travel friendship and we were overwhelmed by the response.

Few showed their love towards their travel buddies by sharing videos & pictures. Few even penned down their emotions from that memorable trip with friends into beautiful snippets

Here’s Beena Pinto Sharing her friendship story which took roots in her Kodachadri Trek with Plan The Unplanned.

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There is no gift as precious as a true friend and I, truly believe in it. I've always had friends either younger than me or of my age. But one single trek changed everything.  At first, I was sad that there was no one was of my age but later, I realised that if you start talking to everyone, age is just a number. My first trek to Kodachadri was mind blowing! My friend Amit, Apporva, Ranjit, Murali, Harsha and many more have taught me to be brave and supported me throughout. I got to learn some really good facts from them– It doesn’t matter how the person looks or how old he/she is, the point in friendship is that the person cares for you, supports you and stands by your side. My next trek to Kayaking through PTU was reassuring these facts. If you don’t have friends or you are shy to initiate a conversation, just think about how exciting it would be to join them and make your life more happening. Ask yourself whether you want to sulk around in the corner or you want people to know that you exist. Trust me it's not hard when you believe in yourself. Never ever stay away from socialising. Just do it. Just because someone looks superior to you or is already a celebrity, don’t assume that they will judge you or make fun of you. If someone talks to you, don’t just stand like a statue. Say something or if you are scared at least say “Hi” or just smile. Create a pleasant first impression 😉 If someone says something bad about you, don’t admit immediately but try to defend yourself. Don’t feel bad if you cannot win over the argument but be glad that you could try proving yourself. I thank Amit, my best friend (now the Trek guide) and PTU (Plan the Unplanned) for giving me this opportunity for expressing my opinion through this article about friendship. Happy Trekking all 🙂 Share your stories and get a chance to get featured on @plantheunplanned #MyFriendshipTale #ExploringwithFriends #travelbuddies

A post shared by Plan The Unplanned (@plantheunplanned) on Aug 4, 2019 at 8:46am PDT

Here’s Aditya Nataraj sharing his story of how friendship bonds were formed over cricket, Lagori & leech bites on this trek to Kudremukh with PlanThe Unplanned.

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Hey PTU fam, According to me a group can make or break a trek from personal experience, and man PTU does attract insane groups️. I've been on two treks with PTU so far and it's not been a disappointment. Kudremukh being my first with y'all had a lasting impression on my mind. Be it the friends I made or the trek leads and co-founders who became friends in a span of two days, the cricket and lagori at Bella Homestay, the leech bites and the views on the trek made it the best trek I've ever been on! Oh also the surprise jamun tree at the very end of the trek which we had failed to notice while starting the trek was a bonus! Love y'all❣️ Share your stories and get a chance to get featured on @plantheunplanned #MyFriendshipTale #ExploringwithFriends #travelbuddies

A post shared by Plan The Unplanned (@plantheunplanned) on Aug 4, 2019 at 12:08am PDT

In this memorable two-part friendship tale titled “From Strangers to Friends”, Pavithra penned down a beautiful message about friendship.

Part #1

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0qpGJsFi9v/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Part #2 

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From strangers to Friends! #part2 The most memorable one- First Himalayan trek. It was my first solo trip to north India as well and I was afraid when I decided to go alone on Brahmatal trekking. But luckily, I meet a girl with similar mindset and soon we bonded well. @anjali_surendran The hospitality and affection that your brotherʼs family offered me in Delhi just upholds the culture of India !!❣ The whole journey with you was just so comfortable and memorable. The trek leads we had ,Bhaskaran @bhaskaran.iyer and Gaurav @gaurav_goyal2611 are the best Friends I have made!! From the mountains @Bhaskaran.. you are missed man! But I have learnt a lot from you in the short time we spent together. @Gaurav – It was so much fun trekking with you. Cheers to all the fun talks, horror stories,yummy food and the party that we had.One thing that I've realised from this journey is ,the friends you make when you travel will stay with you for long. No matter if you talk regularly or not. Because travel introduces you to like minded people and lets you explore the hidden part of the nature and enjoy its beauty in different perspectives. Thank you @plantheunplanned for making this happen for me ❣️ For encouraging me to travel and make bundles of memories❣️ @anjali_surendran @gaurav_goyal2611 Lets catch up soon. Share your stories and get a chance to get featured on @plantheunplanned #MyFriendshipTale #ExploringwithFriends #travelbuddies

A post shared by Plan The Unplanned (@plantheunplanned) on Aug 3, 2019 at 9:12am PDT

Treks can do amazing things to you. From meeting new friends who can uplift mood to creating inspiring stories to cherish forever. Here’s Praneyata’s note on how one trek changed her perspective on life and more.

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Hi PTU, First of all, I miss the treks!! It's been three months since I haven't revisited. But I love you guys for the great work you're doing. The first trek of my life was with you guys. Somewhere, deep within I knew that I was lost and wanted to find that light within me. And you know what? You guys helped me succeed in it. I actually found myself back, during the journey. Moreover, I made great friends when with PTU. You taught me to live life fearlessly. Memories, people and places are the three very important things which was served to me while with PTU. In short , "Life has been great!" Friends were made and friendship was earned everytime. I learnt something new each time I revisited you. And that's the proof of the world you create. Looking forward for many such treks. Lots of love Praneyata. Share your stories and get a chance to get featured on @plantheunplanned #MyFriendshipTale #ExploringwithFriends #travelbuddies

A post shared by Plan The Unplanned (@plantheunplanned) on Aug 1, 2019 at 8:24am PDT

We all have known and seen what road trips can do to people. Here’s one such account of Riyanka & Murli who met while traveling solo on their road trip to Spiti Valley with PTU. A tale that reinforces the belief that some connections are just meant to happen.

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It was one of those summer evenings, back in 2017, when I hopped on a PTU Trip to Manali and met this guy (whom I assumed to be an introvert back then) who was traveling along. Although it was a short trip and I didn't get to know him much, yet, he told me that it was his first trip to the Himalayas. He talked about his dreams of conquering the Everest. There was something very different about this stranger, who slowly turned into a friend when he tagged along for another trip to Spiti in autumn. By the time we returned from Spiti, this person was already my favorite travel buddy. Murli, a gem of a person and an incredible travel mate, stood by his words and trekked to EBC the following year. Not only does he make me proud as a friend but also makes me believe that if you wish for something, you’ll always find a way to achieve it. I know, that if I wake up tomorrow making a random plan, he would try to join in. And the story doesn't end here. Now, we have an amazing gang of travelers. Riyanka: @roytellstales Murli: @muralidharsetty Share your stories and get a chance to get featured on @plantheunplanned #MyFriendshipTale #ExploringwithFriends #travelbuddies

A post shared by Plan The Unplanned (@plantheunplanned) on Jul 29, 2019 at 8:31am PDT

Isn’t it so beautiful reading about the beautiful bonds that form during travel? This is precisely what we want, to give you the people, memories & bonds for a lifetime. Are you inspired to travel and meet your future best travel buddies? Check out the upcoming trips and get on the bus already 😉