Annya's Enchanted Realities

Well, here’s one more mother-daughter bonding trip for you to read and (hopefully) enjoy. This wasn’t a planned getaway—more of a spontaneous one. I had to attend a colleague’s housewarming function in Bangalore (which I’ll tell you more about in Part 2), and I’d also received an invitation from a friend in Chennai earlier this month. I was torn about which one to commit to, so I tentatively told both of them “maybe.”

As most of you know, the past month has been anything but kind. Life threw a few rough cards my way, and a couple of weeks ago, I had a bit of a meltdown and lashed out at Erin. The guilt had been sitting heavy on my heart ever since. With her exams wrapping up on April 9th, I thought—maybe a short trip would be a way to make it up to her. I began weighing my options, still unsure and conflicted.

That’s when I got a call from another colleague, asking if I was attending the housewarming ceremony. I told him I was having second thoughts since I couldn’t really afford a hotel stay. To my surprise, he graciously offered to host me (more on that in Part 3). And just like that, it clicked—this was the trip I needed to take with Erin. She already knew his kids, so I knew she’d have a lovely time too. So I said “yes.”

Since there were only two days left before the function, I wasn’t exactly prepared for travel. Normally, I book my tickets at least a month in advance and plan the trip right down to the tiniest detail. But this time, there was just no time for that.

I’m usually all about longer, well-thought-out journeys—but this time, I had to go with a more practical option: the bus. I booked two sleeper bus tickets from Nagercoil to Bangalore, one for me and one for Erin. Thankfully, it was a decent sleeper coach with washroom facilities, which made things a bit more comfortable. The bus was scheduled to depart at 7:30 PM.

Erin and I had never travelled by bus before—it was always either a train or a car for us. So this was a completely new experience. She was genuinely surprised to see that the bus had sleeper berths, and her excitement was contagious.

Question: Have you ever taken a mode of transport for the first time and felt like a wide-eyed kid all over again?

The moment she climbed onto the bed, she started exploring everything—the windows with little LED lights, the screens provided for each berth—and the coolest part? There was even an extra screen between the seats for added privacy, which she found absolutely fascinating.

When the bus manager came by and offered us water, she looked at him and sweetly said, “Thank you, sir, for the water!” My heart swelled with pride in that moment.

Now, I’ll admit—when I travel, I usually skip meals. But since this was a bus journey, I had to be extra cautious with Erin. I know it might sound a bit harsh, but I didn’t let her eat any cooked or processed food during the trip. Fruits were okay though, and I did get her some snacks and juice for the road. I explained why I was being so picky, and to my surprise, she completely understood. She’s growing up, and moments like that remind me just how much.

Question: What’s your go-to food rule while travelling with kids? Strict parent or snack enabler?

About an hour into the journey, Erin suddenly needed to use the restroom. Thank goodness the bus had restroom facilities—but there was a catch. When we asked if she could use it, the staff told us it could only be used once we were outside the city limits, and that it would take just another 10 minutes to get there.

I explained that to her gently and asked her to focus on something else in the meantime. I remembered reading somewhere that distraction is actually one of the recommended bladder control techniques, so I figured—why not put that advice to the test?

Soon, the bus pulled over outside the city limits, and the staff let us know we could now use the facilities. Erin was a little flustered when the bus started moving again while she was still inside, but she managed to come out safely and calmly.

I asked her if she’d remembered to flush the toilet, and she sheepishly said she hadn’t—because she didn’t know how. So I stepped in, took care of it, and returned to our seats. Just doing my bit as a socially responsible mom, teaching her that it’s important to leave places clean—wherever we are. 🙂

Question: Reels or random facts—what’s your guilty pleasure on long trips?

Once we were back in our seats, I reminded her to take just a small sip of water and to watch her water intake during travel. This time, she understood exactly why I said what I said. From that point on, the trip was smooth.

We both settled into our own little screens—me scrolling through Instagram reels, and her diving into space facts (her latest obsession). A while later, the bus made a stop for dinner near Kovilpatti.

That’s when she spotted a swing and a slide nearby and, of course, wanted to get on it. I took her out for a few minutes, letting her enjoy a bit of playtime before we got back on the bus. I made sure to record those sweet moments—little memories to hold on to. I even ended up posting one of the clips as a reel on my Insta.

It was exactly 12:02 AM when I realized that my internet had run out. I needed to do a quick ₹49 recharge for unlimited data, valid for 24 hours. But of course—without internet, how was I going to recharge it?

That’s when I remembered one of my close friends who always works late into the night. I immediately gave her a call, explained the situation, and she came through like an absolute savior. She recharged my phone, and just like that, I was back online.

I genuinely call her a savior because, without that recharge, things could’ve gone south real quick. I would’ve reached Bangalore the next morning with no internet—no way to book a Rapido, no way to find my colleague’s address on the map. While writing this, I’m hit with the realization of just how much we’ve become dependent on the internet. It’s kind of wild.

Question: Be honest—have you ever panicked over running out of internet while travelling? What’s your backup plan?

After that little internet episode, I figured it was finally nap time. I asked Erin to hand over her phone so we could get some sleep. To my surprise, she was quite obedient. She handed it to me and even pulled the privacy screen down—LOL, she was taking things seriously.

But just a few minutes later, she peeked through the screen and softly said she wanted to hug me while sleeping. And just like that, we cuddled up and slept like babies.

The next morning we reached Bangalore a little earlier than expected. We got an auto rickshaw and headed to my colleague’s room. By this time I had already got the address from my colleague and he had sent me the QR code to show at the gate to enter their apartment. 

Question: Is there anything more heart-melting than your child asking for a cuddle?

And that’s how our little mother-daughter adventure kicked off—complete with LED lights, surprise swings, late-night internet drama, and sleepy cuddles. But trust me, the real fun was just getting started.Catch all the housewarming chaos in Bangalore Days: Part 2 – The Housewarming Vibes. Don’t miss it! 😄🎉