Meet Sudha Mahalingam, Solo Adventurer Who Has Visited 65 Countries

In the famous poem, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, he writes, “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the road less travelled”. The human incarnation of this line is the life and courage of iconoclastic dreamers and explorers like Sudha Mahalingam — a 68-year-old traveller and solo adventurer.

About Sudha Mahalingam

Sudha Mahalingam, a former journalist from Chennai, has travelled to more than 65 countries alone and possesses six Indian passports. She also has a travel memoir called The Travel Gods Must Be Crazy to her name. Sudha has travelled to exotic islands along with the majestic yet magical mountains. She takes five to six trips every year. The next tours on her list are Madagascar and Patagonia.

Sudha Mahalingam, a former journalist from Chennai, has travelled to more than 65 countries alone and possesses six Indian Passports. She also has a travel memoir called The Travel Gods Must Be Crazy to her name.

How did her journey begin?

Sudha began travelling in her mid-40s with a 32-day trek to Kailash Mansarovar in 1996. She was also working as an energy sector analyst for the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis when she began her solo adventure. To achieve her dream of travelling the world, she not only managed her work life but also took a daring step in her personal life as well by leaving behind her five-year-old son. She says that going solo and leaving her young son behind she learnt a lot about herself and her hardiness. It helped her learn that she could do things alone.

According to the solo adventurer one is always told what’s best for them, the things one can and cannot do, how certain places are safe and others are not. Travelling helps to put these preconceived notions and stereotypes to the test. It helps one not only to discover oneself but also helps to develop confidence and identify one’s strengths. It teaches a person to draw upon their own reserves and tackle crises too.

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Sudha Mahalingam’s life journey till now is an epitome of endless possibilities and courage. Her endeavours speak to the women of India and every dreamer in general that it is never too late to walk on the path of your dreams.

What does Sudha Mahalingam's life teach us?

Sudha Mahalingam’s life journey till now is an epitome of endless possibilities and courage. Her endeavours speak to the women of India and every dreamer in general that it is never too late to walk on the path of your dreams. Her journey which is full of adventures, travails and sacrifices shows us that the road not taken is the road with immense possibilities. All that is needed to be done is to break through the fear that bounds a woman (or anyone) to her own territory be it motherhood, age factor and workload etc. It is only when one steps out that she realises dreams are possible if there is the courage to achieve it, no matter how challenging is the journey.

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Rudrani Kumari is an intern at SheThePeople.TV