The Rickshaw Run

It all started with the UK-based Loaring sending an email to her online friends and fellow travel bloggers — Chamberlain (from Australia) and Dinan (from the US) — inviting them to “embark on the adventure of a lifetime”. “But I didn’t think they would actually say yes,” she says,adding that she and her partner Lee had always planned to make India the first destination of their adventure — “Namaste Outta My Way”.

Apart from their love of travel,the three women have one more thing in common. They have sold off all their assets and are planning to travel around the world,indefinitely — blogging,taking photographs and making friends on the way.

Dinan was working in the area of environmental conservation for 10 years,but felt underwhelmed with the trajectory of her life. One fine day,she proposed a question to her husband,Brian,“What if we sold it all and travelled the world?” It took almost three years but the couple shed all their worldly possessions,quit their jobs,and in May 2012,left home to travel the world.

“We all had a difficult time selling off and donating our possessions. It’s not an easy thing to do but we knew that travelling the world was our destiny. Ever since we hit the road,none of us has regretted the decision,realising that a life rich in experience is the true definition of success,” says Loaring in an email chat.

The drive has been organised by a British company called The Adventurist,which has done similar rides in other countries. The two-week journey,slated to be a linear drive with no fixed plans,will give the three a chance to visit villages along the way to learn about their drinking water situation. “We will be staying at guest houses and budget hotels throughout the journey. It will be difficult to book ahead since we don’t know where we will end up on any given day,but we will try to do some research of the places we are likely to stop at,” says Loaring.

The money raised along the way will be donated to Frank Water,an NGO that funds the five-filter and reverse osmosis clean water projects in some of the world’s poorest communities by implementing community-based clean water programmes. “We have already raised over 1000 pounds,and hope to exceed our target of 2000 pounds,” says Loaring.

Armed with their five essential items — a sarong (“it’s a towel,a sheet,a dress,everything!”),a laptop,a smartphone (with GPS),a camera and comfortable shoes — the trio will embark on the journey after taking lessons in auto-rickshaw driving and maintenance. “Once it’s over,we will relax for a week or so in Kerala together,maybe Allapuzha or Varkhala beach,” concludes Loaring.