A Week Without Walls​

Why real wellbeing sometimes begins far from work

Walls rise brick by brick from expectations nobody questions and duties that pile on without end. My days burned with meetings stacked end to end, decisions raining down, and care I poured out nonstop. I looked unbreakable from outside- strong and winning.

But inside, my mind churned without mercy as menopause rolled in relentlessly, rewiring my energy, emotions, and trust in this body I've always known. Some days the mirror showed a stranger. That shook me to the core.

As women, we get taught one lesson hard: power through every shift, adapt fast, push harder.

And we do, until we can't. That's when I decided to escape.

I Decided To Escape the Woman in the Mirror

Traveling alone through menopause took straight courage. It meant leaning on my own gut when my body and emotions were already asking hard questions. It meant putting myself first with nobody watching.

India always drew me from afar. This trip had no checklist of spots. It meant stepping bold into the unknown, with my heart open. For the first time in years I stopped controlling every outcome. I just felt ready for whatever showed up.

India Held Me Long Enough to Change Me

I showed up in India with excitement all mixed up with real uncertainty. First thing, I walked into a wedding as a total outsider, no idea what waited, how they'd take me in, or if I'd feel part of it.

Right when I got there, something lit up inside. Hopes felt promising, and I'd feel safe from my days, even solo as a woman whose body was figuring new ways to move.

The biggest shock was acceptance just as I stood. I didn’t have labels slapped on me. There were no quick guesses. I didn’t have to explain a thing. I could breathe full and feel alive in those moments.

This gave me my first real taste of freedom. It landed gentle, whispering this trip would carry me. Bone deep, I knew I stood ready for whatever came around the corner.

A Gentle Beginning in Ahmedabad

I landed in Ahmedabad for a wedding. People welcomed me warm and open, with no effort behind it. I never felt like some outsider forcing a fit. They just took me in whole!

Colder than I figured for that time of year, which slowed the days gently and hushed the nights. Comfort settled in with hot meals, easy laughter, and that feeling of being held with no words needed. Everything flowed smoothly.

Still something stirred underneath all that ease. Quiet spark of what waited next. Ahmedabad handed me a soft landing. I rested there long enough to steady myself, knowing the real shifts stood ready ahead!

New Faces, Unexpected Friendships

Travel lets you meet people when you stop trying to be anything at all. Friendships grew easy across this trip. From quick talks to plates shared. From moments not built to last but somehow did. No masks to hold up and no strings tied on.

I saw some folks step into my life for reasons that skip time or distance. They showed up. They ride home tucked in your memory. We call certain bonds the overnight kind that last forever. These hit just like that.

Kerala - A Gift to the Body

Landing in Kerala felt safe right from the start, even before I could pin down why it pulled at me that way. I traveled there to meet people I had only spoken with online before, faces I knew nothing about until that moment, and that simple fact wrapped me in comfort from the outset. It felt like slipping into an old, worn-in jacket that fits just right!

Kerala drew me in through its raw land, all thick green and pulsing with life that demands you slow your steps and truly see it up close. I refused to rush through any of it because I craved the full sight of the place. This stretch of the journey turned into a gift for my body in its constant shift, where I chose things I never dreamed of tackling alone before.

I ate hearty and real, drawing out every meal without a clock ticking. I savored the food free of any guilt that used to chain me. I hit the tourist spots too, chasing those joys that let me be! When I finally gave myself full permission to sink into it all, my body started to soften in ways I could feel deep.

It whispered signals, urging a full check-up to leave me worry-free when I stepped back home to Dubai. That cracked open space inside, and something long knotted began to heal for real.

Being Seen Differently as a Woman

Somewhere on this trip, those questions I carried deep started bubbling up. Would I pull through okay? Did this all feel normal? Why did my body scream for a slowdown when my head stayed stuck in overdrive? Should I even let worry take root?

Fears like that hit women in big life turns, especially menopause. We haul them into boardrooms, choices, and lead spots without ever spitting them out loud.

Have you ever wondered what true wellbeing could really look like if we gave women genuine space to heal beyond the daily grind and rigid schedules, especially during those profound life transitions?

The Liberation of Choice

My healing built from picking what I wanted

Rest without the guilt trip. Movement free of grind. Every call kept me locked with my health instead of scrapping it. Menopause kicks up panic because we train to bulldoze signals.

Tracking wellbeing is not about gripping tight with iron fists and forcing control. It means keeping your eyes wide open and giving yourself permission to respond true to what your body needs, instead of just reacting on impulse.

A New Lens on Wellbeing Travel

What stood with me was feeling truly taken care of. Medical check-ups never came off cold or like just another transaction. They were personal. Doctors really listened, they laid things out patient and clear. Every visit wrapped with real reassurance, and most times a smile that felt warm. That human bit meant more than any test result!

The whole process flowed so easy that I was truly happy. Appointments were smooth, and the care was mention worthy. Costs sat right and true to what I got, building trust fast.

Ayurveda rolled in soft beside it, to let my nerves sink down calm. Nothing pushed me. Healthcare felt kind and real for once, holding me up instead of wearing me out. That shifted how I saw my own wellbeing rise up.

Returning Home Changed

I got back home with way more than photos and stories to unpack. A steady confidence took root inside me. My body and I found a gentle rhythm together. I finally understood real self-care means ‘no waiting for anyone's okay’.

Life on the outside stayed full throttle. But I learned to listen closely. I started responding real instead of barreling through. When my body called for rest, I honored it fully.

This trip flipped how I see leading and feeling whole. When you get true care yourself empathy flows naturally as you guide others. Wellbeing is not some later add-on. You live it right in the heart of everything.

When I travelled alone, I was alive in every moment.

An Invitation to Women

This trip brought back something we all let slip our minds. Healing doesn't kick off when life cracks wide open. It starts when we tune in early. To every woman riding menopause or any big life turn, here's my hand reaching out.

You're not making this up. Wellbeing shows up as a structure some days. Other times it means stepping off to find your center.

If this kind of trip flickered through your thoughts even for a second, reach out. Planning a wellbeing getaway or curious how healing feels in transition? I'll walk you through what I lived, the wellness paths open, and how to get top-notch care in India that will not burn a hole in your pocket!

At Inspire, we build wellbeing human first. When women get held through change, they come back whole.