A trip to Pondicherry

There are some trips that you plan months in advance, and then there are trips like ours to Pondicherry—last minute, slightly messy, but full of moments that stick with you forever. This was one of my first proper trips with friends, and looking back, it taught me a lot more than I expected.

The day started early. We had to leave college by 8 AM to catch our bus, and honestly, none of us were fully awake. Everyone was groggy, dragging their bags, but the excitement was there. The thought of actually leaving campus and going on a proper trip with friends was enough to keep us going.

We took a bus to Vandalur and travelled to Killambakkam…….. The terminal looked like that of an airports with two big entrances and multiple busses going to various places from there anyway.. The bus ride itself was… long. 4 hours of sitting cramped, half asleep, half laughing, passing By the time we finally reached Pondicherry around 2 PM, we were hungry, tired, and ready to just get moving.

Here’s the funny part—we hadn’t really figured out how we’d get around in Pondicherry. While the rest of us were clueless, one of my friends pulled out this Instagram page he had seen about EV car rentals. At first, I rolled my eyes. “Seriously? Instagram? What if it’s a scam?” But we called, and it actually worked.

We ended up booking an electric car, which turned out to be one of the smartest decisions. No waiting for cabs, no splitting into groups—it was just us, free to go wherever we wanted. That was when it hit me that social media isn’t just for scrolling reels; if you use it right, it can actually be super helpful.

By this point, all of us were starving. We headed straight to Copper Kitchen for lunch. And let me tell you, after that long bus ride, the food tasted like pure happiness. We ordered way too much, argued about who was hungrier, and laughed so much that people around us probably thought we were a little crazy.

After that, we drove to our Airbnb. The place was pretty fancy and felt like our little home for the trip. We dumped our bags, rested for a bit, and started planning the evening.

One of the big things on our list was to watch the sunset at the beach. We hyped it up so much in the car. But Pondicherry traffic had other plans. By the time we got through the chaos, the sun had already dipped below the horizon.

At first, everyone was disappointed. But then someone cracked a silly joke, and we all started laughing. We realized sulking over something we couldn’t control wasn’t worth it. So, instead, we drove straight to Rock Beach.

Rock Beach at night was beautiful. The waves crashing, people walking around, the cool breeze—it instantly lifted our mood. We sat there for hours, talking, clicking photos, and just enjoying being together outside the routine of college life.

Later, we went for dinner at a small pizzeria. Eating wood-fired pizza with my friends, laughing about random stuff—it was such a simple thing, but it felt special. After dinner, we headed back to the Airbnb, tired but determined to wake up early for the sunrise.

The next morning was completely different. We actually managed to get up at 5 AM and reached the beach on time. And wow—it was worth it.

The sky slowly turning pink, orange, and golden, the calm sound of waves, and the sun peeking out of the horizon—it felt magical. For a few minutes, no one even spoke. We just stood there, taking it all in. That sunrise felt like a reward for all the chaos and missed plans from the day before.

After the sunrise, we went for a proper English breakfast. Eggs, sausages, toast, coffee—the works. It felt so good sitting there with everyone, reliving moments from the day before and already laughing about the things that went wrong.

Finally, we booked our bus tickets and started the journey back to college. The return ride was much quieter. Most of us dozed off, tired but content. And somewhere during that ride, I realized how much this trip had actually taught me.

What I Learned

–Social Media is More Than Just Memes: Without Instagram, we wouldn’t have found that EV rental. It made me realize that if you use social media smartly, it can actually help in real life.

-Not Everything Goes as Planned: We missed the sunset, and it could’ve ruined the mood. But we laughed it off and still had an amazing evening. Sometimes, it’s about making the best of the situation.

-Last-Minute Planning Works… Kind Of: We planned this trip in such a rush. Not everything was smooth, but that chaos made it more fun. Still, I learned that a little more planning wouldn’t hurt!

-Teamwork Matters: From splitting bills to handling traffic, everyone played their part. It wasn’t perfect, but it showed me that trips with friends work best when everyone cooperates.

-It’s the Small Moments That Stay: Sure, the sunrise was beautiful. But so was sitting at the pizzeria, or walking at Rock Beach, or even cracking jokes on the bus. Those little things made the trip what it was.

Wrapping It Up

Looking back, our Pondicherry trip wasn’t flawless. We were late for things, missed out on a sunset, got stuck in traffic, and planned almost everything last minute. But that’s exactly what made it so memorable.

It wasn’t about checking every tourist spot off a list—it was about being together, figuring things out, and making memories in the middle of all the chaos.

If there’s one thing I’ll always remember, it’s that the best trips aren’t the perfect ones—they’re the ones where you laugh at the mistakes, enjoy the surprises, and come back with stories you’ll never get tired of telling.

Written By Sounak Ghosh

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