Tracks, Twins & Tiny Discoveries
Our First Train Journey to Goa with Tara & Tashi
For the first two years of Tara and Tashi’s lives, we averaged one flight a month. Airports became familiar territory. Security checks, boarding passes, the hum of jet engines. Our twins had become seasoned little flyers before they could even form complete sentences.
But this time, we chose something different. We chose to slow down.
We booked our tickets on the Konkan Railway to Goa and what unfolded was nothing short of magical.
Why We Chose the Train
The decision wasn’t about convenience. Flights are faster, yes. But as parents who believe in learning through experience, we wanted to give our girls something a flight could never offer, the journey itself.
A train isn’t just transportation. It’s a classroom on wheels. It’s a moving window to the world. And for two curious three-year-olds who ask “why” about everything, it was an invitation to wonder.
What They Learned (Without Us Teaching)
Here’s the beautiful thing about children, you don’t have to lecture them. You just have to place them in rich environments and let their natural curiosity take over.
The Mystery of Relative Speed
“Papa, why is that train going backwards?”
And just like that, without any textbook, Tara stumbled upon her first physics lesson. A train on the adjacent track was moving in the same direction as us, but slower, so from our window, it looked like it was drifting backwards. We talked about how when two things move together, what matters is who’s faster. Tashi pressed her face to the glass and watched intently as another train zoomed past in the opposite direction, gasping at the speed.
No PowerPoint. No flash cards. Just observation, wonder, and a parent willing to pause and explain.
The Sun That Followed Us
“Papa, the sun is coming with us! Look, it’s not going away!”
I smiled. This was one of those beautiful childhood observations that adults have long stopped noticing. To Tashi, the sun was a loyal companion, faithfully following our train all the way to Goa.
I explained (in the simplest terms) that the sun is so far away that it looks like it’s moving with us, unlike the nearby trees that zoom past or the trains that race by. A mini lesson in perspective and distance.
A Living, Breathing Geography Lesson
The Konkan route is nothing short of spectacular. As we chugged through tunnels carved into mountains, crossed bridges over rivers, and passed villages nestled between hills, the girls were glued to the window.
“Is that the sea, Papa?”
“That’s a river. But the sea is waiting for us in Goa.”
They saw coconut palms, paddy fields, red laterite soil, and more shades of green than a crayon box could hold. No YouTube video can replicate that sensory richness.
The Social Experiment
Train journeys are inherently social. You share your space with strangers who, by the end of the trip, feel like old friends. For Tara and Tashi, this was a gentle introduction to the world beyond our home.
They waved at fellow passengers. They peeked curiously at the chai wallahs. They exchanged smiles with a grandmother who reminded them of their Nani. And they learned, in their own small way, that the world is full of kind, interesting people.
This is what we mean when we say early exposure empowers children. Not just to places, but to people, experiences, and the beautiful unpredictability of life.
What We Didn’t Pack: Anxiety
Were we nervous? Honestly, no.
After travelling across Spain, Switzerland, and France with 10-month-old twins — and surviving a 27-hour journey to Iceland at 22 months, a train to Goa felt like a peaceful retreat.
The key is trusting your children. When you believe in their ability to adapt, to observe, to cope, they rise to the occasion. Children are far more resilient than we give them credit for. Our job isn’t to shield them from every discomfort. It’s to give them the tools to navigate new experiences with curiosity, not fear.
“Parenting is easy when you stop fighting the journey and start enjoying it.”
The Real Takeaway
By the time we pulled into Goa, Tara and Tashi had absorbed more than any structured activity could offer. They experienced physics, geography, sociology, and emotional intelligence, all wrapped in the rhythm of a train on its tracks.
And me? I was reminded why we started this journey of mindful parenting in the first place.
Because parenting isn’t about reaching destinations. It’s about being present for the ride.
Your Turn
Have you taken a train journey with your little ones? What did they discover? We’d love to hear your stories.
And if you’re considering stepping away from the usual flights and road trips, we say, give it a go. The slower route often leads to the richest memories.
With a lot of love and adventure in the coming year,
Life of PI Square
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They’re the ones who know when to pause and listen.
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