1/7/2019 0 Comments My honeymoon in IndiaI always talk about living my version of a Rich Life, and I'm so excited that I get to share a small window into that with you in the form of my six-week honeymoon. There were multiple stops. ![]() My wife Cass and I got to share an experience of a lifetime with our parents in Rome, Italy. Then… ![]() We'd always dreamed about going on a safari. And now? ![]() This was a really special part of the trip for me. I always knew that I'd take my wife here on a honeymoon (even before I met Cass). It's where I went with my parents to visit when I was a kid, and it's where I learned about seeing a different part of the world, a totally different culture, about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. I couldn't wait for Cass to experience it with me - and for us both to see a different side of India that we'd never seen before. We started in Amritsar. As I walked around, I noticed families and friends standing around and catching up. I loved how warm it all felt. It reminded me of my family visits to our Sikh temple every Sunday when I was a kid. A couple of interesting things I'd like to share with you about Indian culture: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A “langar” is a free meal that every Sikh gurdwara serves to anyone - no matter what religion they follow - everywhere in the world. Here in the langar hall, people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and gender - rich, poor, men, and women - sit together and eat the same food that is served for free by volunteers. About 50,000 people eat here on an average day - 100,000 on a busier day! On my visit to the langar hall, we got to take a peek in the kitchen where I've never been before: ![]() ![]() Cass had the chance to help make roti as well. By the way, they actually have a roti-making machine that makes 6,000 rotis per hour (!), but people still make them by hand because they want to volunteer. It's as simple as that. ![]() What an amazing testament to the power of community service. ![]() This experience made me realize that I had been eating this food all my life and am just now getting to appreciate them in a whole new light. This was an amazing part of our Rich Life - to be able to share culture and food and religion together. ![]() And that was just the first day! Now … allow me to introduce you to my new favorite hotel in the whole world. ![]() Fun fact: Many top hotels in India were actual palaces that kings once lived in. This one is different: it was intentionally created to be a hotel. ![]() WOW. Plus, something amazing happened when we checked into our room the first night… ![]() I love it. At every hotel we are getting the royal treatment because they know we're on our honeymoon, so they send us champagne and gifts, and put us in a secluded part of the hotel - amazing attention to detail. ![]() On my Instagram stories, I showed some of the behind-the-scenes amenities at these hotels. I used to skip the things they offered because it was too expensive, they were ripping me off, I could do it myself … etc. I ended up not doing them at all. Now, if I know there's something I want to do and they'll create an unforgettable experience, I do them - even if they cost a little more. Put another way, I had someone write me and ask, “How do I find deals on a luxury trip like this?” My answer: If you're taking a luxury trip, you're not looking for a deal. And of course, let's not overlook all the amazing food I had here. Here are a few of the specialty Indian dishes I want to share with you: ![]() The way you eat golgappa is to take one of the crunchy fried balls, fill it up with the chutney, and eat it - it's sweet and spicy at the same time. Most non-Indians haven't tried this, but you'll love it. ![]() ![]() ![]() And one of my favorites… ![]() So good that I was getting delirious! If you watch my stories, I could barely talk. I mentioned we wanted to balance luxury and local culture. One of the things we did in Udaipur was visit a local woman's home for a Rajasthani cooking class (we call her Auntie out of respect, though we're not related). ![]() Rajasthan is a northern Indian state that borders Pakistan. Because of the climate and for historical reasons, Rajasthani food was often traditionally made so it could last for days and eaten without heating. ![]() We sat with this Auntie for hours and had a chance to hear about her life - how she arranged a marriage with her daughter, how life in Udaipur is different from Delhi (where I'm used to), how they eat. It gave us an awesome insight into her day-to-day life. ![]() One thing I want to show you is the crowds in India. Your first reaction might be overwhelm or chaos. My take: If you look closely, there is charm in the chaos and throngs of people. ![]() ![]() ![]() During my time here in India, I showed you a juxtaposition of having absolute luxury against bustling local street culture. Why? You can decide what your Rich Life is. If you want to stay in a luxury hotel, you can. If you want to eat street food, you can. If you want to do BOTH, you can. I want to show you that a Rich Life can be multi-dimensional and complex … because it's YOURS. YOU get to define what your Rich Life looks like. ![]() ![]() If you enjoyed this, I'll be posting the last of my Honeymoon Diaries in Thailand next. You can also follow along in real time on Instagram (@ramit). One of my goals is to show you how I live my Rich Life - and to encourage you to decide what your Rich Life is. Maybe it's a long honeymoon, or working from home, or starting a business. You decide. Let me know what you think by posting a comment below or DM'ing me on Instagram (@ramit). My honeymoon in India is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.
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