In 2016, Manisha made a bold decision: she left her steady corporate job, security, and routine, driven by profound unhappiness and a desire for real freedom. Inspired by a week in Sri Lanka, she sought happiness not just as an escape, but as a lifelong pursuit.

What followed was a journey that spanned continents and tested every limit she had. From backpacking across Latin America for a year to walking 900 km along the Camino de Santiago from southern France to the coast of Spain, Manisha embraced adventure in its rawest form.

She learnt free diving in Thailand and sport climbing in Laos, rode a motorbike solo from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and trekked across the peaks of Peru, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Albania, Montenegro, and more. Each step, dive, and climb reshaped her, building courage and resilience along the way.

The road was not easy. Planning visas for an Indian passport, handling solo travel logistics, and facing the unexpected tested her at every turn. Her first major setback came when she got mugged at knifepoint in Colombia, leaving her with a logistical nightmare in a foreign land.

Yet she adapted, learning to solve problems first and grieve later. Mistakes, missed trains, or expensive errors no longer held her back; she became her strongest ally, guiding herself forward with patience and kindness.

At the heart of Manisha’s story is a reminder: freedom comes at a price. Her journey shows that it is not luck that brings happiness, but courage, honesty, and the relentless pursuit of what matters. By choosing meaning over comfort and adventure over routine, she discovered the extraordinary in the everyday.