Last year, I took my family on a trip to Phuensholing.

To the common man, it would seem like a fairly simple statement to start a travel blog with. However, there's a catch here. Or maybe two.

I started my professional career in the Kingdom of Bhutan, a decade and a half ago. Interestingly, I was following in the footsteps of my late father, who had also started his professional career in the mountain nation in the 1970s.

I worked for a manufacturing unit located in Pasakha, around 15 km from the border town of Phuentsholing. I used to stay in Jaigaon, Phuensholing's Indian twin.

That was a different era. Fresh into my 20s and having completed my Masters in Microbiology, I set out to own the world. Tashi Beverages Limited ushered me into the world of food manufacturing. My days were spent learning about Quality Systems and investing in the minute aspects of food microbiology.

And also, gorging on Phaksha Pa, my favourite cuisine in the world.

Phaksha Pa is a Bhutanese delicacy; Pork belly is stewed until it is transformed into a dish fit for the heavens. When I was homesick, Phaksha Pa brought me peace. When I was overburdened with work, Phaksha Pa brought me peace. When I missed my friends, well, you get the drill now.

Nostalgia in Bhutan

For one year and eight months, I learned the ways of the world in a country where my late Father had started his professional career as well, in the early 70s. I picked up the tricks of my trade at the state-of-the-art facility, where colleagues turned into friends and family.

If I could go back and sit with the 2009 version of me, there would be a lot of things I would speak about. We would probably start off with Music and Books, but the conversation would most definitely venture into Manchester United and good food.

Bhutan left a lasting impression on my heart and my soul and I was eager for my wife and son to revel in the hospitality of the mountain nation.

Down the memory lane

So one fine morning, we embarked on a 100km drive from Malbazar to Phuentsholing. We crossed picturesque rivers and beautiful tea gardens and I felt a cloud of nostalgia engulf me. Outside my window, I caught a glimpse of a boy in his early 20s, driving home early morning with his luggage tied to the pillion seat of his trusted motorcycle.

As I turned passed through Hasimara, I struggled at the wheel, not because of the traffic, but because of the weight of the bygone era. So much had changed over the years. The town had grown, and the roads were wider, yet there remained a charming effervescence of the past.

I would speed through these roads at 4:30 on Sunday mornings, testing the physical limits of my trusted Intrepido as I rushed home. And the next day, I would toil to head back, my heart permanently nestled in a little house at Malbazar.

Arriving at Phuentsholing

The sleepy town of Jaigaon, I found, is not so sleepy anymore. It now bustles with life, with bigger roads, bigger buildings, and stricter rules. I located restaurants I dined at, places I stopped for chats, and the path that led my first rented house. The town meant more to me than it would to a normal tourist, yet I resisted the urge to stop at every bend, moving on towards our destination.

Crossing the Bhutan Gate used to be a piece of cake around a decade and a half ago, but a lot has changed. There are separate passes required for vehicles and tourists, but thankfully, Bhutan remains as welcoming as ever. The entire process was over in an instant and we were on the road, cruising around Phuentsholing. (Note - carry an original ID card on you for ease of entry into the mountain nation.)

For me, however, it was a big shock. The town had understandably changed a lot over the years and I could hardly recall anything. We drifted around the lanes for a while before heading to the Rinchending Check Post. Once upon a time, I used to cross this place six days a week on my way to Pasakha, yet I would never be tired of the view.

Things had changed, but the adjourning scenery remained untouched. We stopped for a while, soaking in the winter sun, and clicking pictures. I couldn't shake off the nostalgia, trying to remember what it was like cross these very roads years ago.

We traveled to Karbandi Monastery next, another place I had visites quite a few times in my younger days. Messi ran around, finding great delighr in turning the prayer wheels. We clicked more pictures, and reveled in the stunning view of Phuentsholing Town from the top of the hill. We tried to locate the Crocodile Park next only to be informed that it had closed down. We headed back to town, parked our car, and explored the Zangto Pelri Monastery, situated in the heart of Phuentsholing, on foot.

Everywhere we went, people smiled at us, welcomed us, and made us feel at home.

It was as if I had never left.

You never really exit a place...

As I walked around the Zangto Pelri Monastery, I recalled the first time I had visited the place in April 2008. I had sat for the first job interview of my life at Tashi Group's corporate office, situated just by the Monastery. After the interview, I had stepped into the Monastery and sat on one of the benches. I was, perhaps, a little overwhelmed by the sudden change in my life. A fresh-faced young boy, about to embark on a new journey, and start a new chapter in his life.

A week later, I had boarded my Office Bus for the first time a stone's throw from the Monastery.

A lot has changed since then. From that lanky boy in his early 20s to the ever-so-slightly potbellied middle-aged man with a young heart, I have seen some eventful summers in my life. I am no longer the one I was, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Right then, sitting on a bench at Zangto Pelri Monastery with Messi running around without a care, I had an epiphany. I realized that you can never completely exit a place you have resided in. Somehow, a part of you remains embedded in its lanes, in the streets you once walked, the house you resided in. The restaurants where you dined and made friends.

Coming back to a place you have lived before can be a surreal experience. A life-changing ordeal. But instead of measuring how far you have come in life, it is better to celebrate the one you have lived so far.

It is important to acknowledge the past because it is the journey that has shaped your present.

And so I made nostalgia my pal. I tried to trace back my steps in this sleepy little mountain town. I joined Messi in turning the prayer wheels at Zangto Pelri Monastery. I told my wife little anecdotes from the days gone by. I allowed myself to be overwhelmed by a desire to taste Phaksha Pa after a decade.

And then, on a bend in the road, I saw the spectacled lanky boy in his 20s, wearing his Manchester United shirt and smiling at me.

I smiled back, and silently thanked him for helping me become who I am.

To be continued...

Watch: A video of our escapade -

Phuentsholing Essentials:

Location: Chukha District, South Bhutan

Nearest Airport: Bagdogra, 164 km

Nearest Railways Station: Hasimara, 20 km

Best Time to Travel: September to May, can visit the entire year

Contact Number: 00-975-5-252101 (Consulate General of India, Phuentsholing)

Guidelines for Indian Tourists: Check Here