During a seven-week journey through India, I began to notice small moments that felt strangely meaningful—almost like signs. From a peacock outside an ashram window to a necklace I wore across the country, and a chance meeting back in the UK, each moment seemed to carry its own quiet message. This is a reflection on coincidence, meaning, and how we choose to see the world.

I never part with my passport—until an ashram in India asked me to leave it behind. What I expected to feel was anxiety. What I felt instead surprised me.

From solo travel to endurance challenges, so many of us choose the harder path. Not because we have to—but because something in us is drawn to it. So why do we do hard things?