There are very few people who have the courage to deny society’s set rules and create their own. And, Harikrishnan J and Lakshmi Krishna are one such couple. The couple quit their 9 to 5 jobs to take a road trip across India. It is quite interesting how the couple, Harikrishnan J and Lakshmi Krishna quit their 9 to 5 jobs in sales and graphic designing so that they could take a road trip to explore the country all the way.
Meet Kerala Couple Who Quit 9-5 Jobs To Road-Tripping Across India
What makes it even more interesting is the fact that the couple travelled in their car to live their travel dream. Talking to Conde Nast Traveller (CNT), Hariskrishnan said:
“Travelling by car has been a dream for a while. We have been planning an international road trip for some time, but with most international borders closed by October, we had to ditch our plan to go on a bike tour to Thailand. The next idea was to travel across India by public transport. Eventually, we decided to travel by car, sleep in the car, cook on our own and explore places at our own pace, as it was safer,”
It wasn’t an easy decision, they confess. But with the support of their loved ones, they were able to take the plunge. “Only because our families are completely supportive, right from our decision to quit full-time jobs to travelling in a car during the pandemic, we are able to pursue our travel dreams,” says Harikrishnan.
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Not only are they travelled in their car, but also slept in the car and explored places at their own pace. For the nights and nap breaks, they decided to add additional headrests for the backseats, fold the seats and spread a mattress to convert the backseats into a bed.
“The budget we had for the trip was roughly 2.5 lakhs. But so far, our real expenses have been far lower than our budget,” says Harikrishnan. “While figuring out the budget prior to the journey, we accounted for a higher budget for water. However, after leaving Kerala, filling water at RO Filter stations has proven cost-effective at Rs10 per litre. We carry three cans: one 10-litre can for washing and two cans for drinking water.”
He further added, “We carry a 5kg gas cylinder and a one-burner stove with minimum essentials. We usually cook in the morning and for lunch, we often make rice which we might have for dinner too,”.
Sometimes, they had dinner in Dhabas, where they would even invite villagers and locals to eat with them as well.
The couple began their journey from Thrissur, Kerala on October 28, 2020. They first travelled through Karnataka and Maharashtra crossing cities such as Bengaluru, Udupi, Gokarna, Kolhapur, Mumbai. Later, parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
The couple wanted to dispel the idea of India being unsafe for travellers and encourage others to explore the country and its varied regions, cultures and foods. “120 days on the road across India with my wife is enough to tell me that India is a safe place to travel.”, says Harikrishnan.
Now, when are you packing your bags and fulfiling your travel goals?
