Following the passing away of her husband in 2010, 70-year-old Neeru Saluja decided to continue their legacy of love for adventure.

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This professor, wife, mother, and now globetrotter has recently marked a milestone of having 80 countries under her belt.

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But one of her favourites, she says, would be her first solo adventure — a Christmas cruise through Europe in 2014.

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“I would say the trip made me realise how wonderful it was to travel solo. Some say it is daunting, but I disagree,” she shares.

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Neeru adds that the best part about travelling solo is having the freedom to decide what you want to do. “There are no demands on a solo trip. You have a dual vantage — you can do the activity you please, while also having the security of being in a group,” she opines.

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Another of her iconic trips would be the one to Sweden in 2017. It started with boarding a train from Stockholm to Abisko, famous for the Northern Lights. On reaching Abisko, Neeru and the group stayed in a snow room. “It was beautiful and pristine,” she recalls.

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She says that every trip has an adventure which teaches her something new.

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As Neeru is poised to get set with exciting travel plans this year, she says you need to take the reigns of your life into your own hands.

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Once avid travellers, she and her husband would breeze through the Indian countryside.

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Losing him in 2010, brought travel to a halt for Neeru who had many responsibilities to see to — getting the home constructed, the children married, and her full-time job.

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But once she retired and her children were settled, Neeru says she waltzed right back to her love for travel. “I couldn’t keep waiting forever for friends and family to join. I said: Let’s do solo.”

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But travel isn’t only about adventure and tourism, Neeru emphasises. “It introduces one to how different cultures approach environment conservation.” She encourages senior citizens to experience it all for themselves.

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