Hi everyone. Before I get in to why Sukh is a man on a mission, let me start by explaining why I’ve been a bit absent on my blog for a while. I took some time out because there were some other things going on in my life, some exciting new ventures that I will share on here one day. And as much as I enjoyed the break, I really missed writing. So here I am, back just before Christmas, so no doubt there will be another short break soon!
This post is really not about me at all. It’s about something exciting Sukh is doing – he is a man on a mission! He calls it an adventure of a lifetime. Sukh’s loves to travel but it’s always either been with me, as a couple and then with the kids, as a family. He’s never really ventured abroad on his own unless it was for work. He was away for a good five weeks working at the summer Olympics in Brazil in 2016. Then came the winter Olympics in South Korea in 2018. You can read about that here.
Rickshaw Run
But now he’s embarking on a mission of a different kind. This is something he has always wanted to do. He loves a good road trip and we’ve done one as a family, when we spent two weeks driving around Florida in 2013.
Sukh is off to India for two weeks driving 2500km across India – not just in a regular car but in an auto-rickshaw! They’re also known as three-wheelers and are a transportation widely used in various states in India. You can read more about them in my post about Mumbai.
The adventure Sukh is embarking on is epic to say the least. There will be 90 people in 30 rickshaws making this exciting but worthwhile journey. It’s all for a good cause with the aim being to raise £400,000 to help deaf children to hear again.
Sukh’s been to a few places in India, but has always wanted to see more of it, especially south India. He’s also wanted to do a journey like this, a mission he can pour his heart and soul in to. He loves to experience different languages, sights, cultures and cuisine and there can’t be a better way to discover more of his heritage than being on the road.
When the opportunity came along over a year ago, he jumped on it straight away. As there were only limited spaces, he was lucky to be chosen from the hundreds who applied.
Away At Christmas
If you read my Blogmas posts last year, you will know how much I love Christmas and how I go all out each year. Family time is really important to me throughout December. I plan lots of activities, book tickets to various events and love to entertain family and friends. It all kicks off from the 1st December and I like to know Sukh’s rota in advance so I can plan our month.
When Sukh told me he would be away for two weeks in December, I didn’t actually bat an eyelid. He had feared I would be upset or possibly kick up a fuss about him going, as he knew how important Christmas time is to me.
But as soon as he told me, I could immediately see his passion and desire to do this. It’s so important for a relationship to understand the dreams of your partner and do what you can to help make them happen. This is something I’ve learned over the years on how to have a successful marriage. You can read more about my learnings here.
I can’t believe more than a year has flown by since Sukh was committed to the project. He’s been to various events to meet some of the other participants in the Rickshaw Run.
All of the volunteers have paid for their own flights, accommodation and the rickshaws too. Paying their own way from the onset allows them to raise as much money as possible for children to receive hearing implants.
Cochlea Pune
In the city of Pune alone, 800 children are born deaf every year but the vast majority never receive the help they need. It’s such a simple thing, being fitted with an implant, yet it’s life-changing because these children will be able to hear and speak.
All of the money raised will be donated to Cochlea Pune, a registered charitable trust for hearing and speech. They specialise in supporting congenitally born deaf children from birth through to six years.
With the rate of admission, the Cochlea team have run out of room and that’s why Sukh and other volunteers from the UK, USA, Australia and India are doing what they can so support the project.
Volunteer work and giving to charity is a very personal thing. I help where I can and as often as I can but I really admire those who go above and beyond in various ways – especially travelling abroad to help great causes. My good friend Zayna Sheikh is an inspiration. She has volunteered many times over the years and I am in awe of her hard work and dedication to vital causes. You can see some of her work here.
Please click here if you would like to donate to this amazing cause.
An Adventure Of A Lifetime
I’m really proud of Sukh for signing up for this project. He will leave for Kerala in a week’s time and is busy with last minute preparations. It’s not an easy time either. Shalini and Shivam have their birthdays this week and we have a little celebration planned for them at the weekend.
And of course, I’m well in to my Christmas preparations too. But Sukh is able to (dare I say it!) multi-task and I’m helping him where I can.
He will miss a lot of the activities I have planned for the kids. And we will miss him immensely, especially at this time of year, but we support him wholeheartedly.
I know Sukh is quite nervous about the trip for many reasons. It is a lot of pressure when people have given you their hard-earned cash to complete a task or a project. The group will make 12 stops in total across five states, having to complete a certain amount of mileage each day to reach their next checkpoint by nightfall.
Driving conditions are not always easy in India and on top of that they’re in a three-wheeler, so not exactly the fastest of vehicles. Sukh is looking forward to the views as they embark on their journey from southern most tip of India to the state of Gujarat.
As a cameraman, of course Sukh volunteered to capture the adventure and everyone’s memorable moments. As you know, he’s the creative mind behind our vlogs. He’s going equipped with all of his kit so we will have some exciting footage to share with you all.
I’m hoping to post updates from the Rickshaw Run on my Instagram story, so follow me if you want to see Sukh embarking on this adventure of a lifetime!
