Travel, Trauma & the Truth We Don’t Want to Hear
Guest: Anamika Mishra
Host: Kapil Gupta | Truth Shots with Kapil – Season 4
Welcome back to Truth Shots. Season 4 is officially on fire. Episode 1 started with a marathon (literally, Sundeep Sharma running through air pollution and corporate ESG promises), Episode 2 shook the foundations of the healthcare system with Samara Mahindra’s take on emotional trauma in illness…
And now—Episode 3 takes you on a trip. No, not a Goa trip. A mind trip.
Is travel a form of therapy? That’s the question we don’t ask often enough.
I sat down with Anamika Mishra—life coach, author, founder of Responsible Yatri, and the kind of traveler who doesn’t just pack a suitcase, but packs perspective. She’s got over a million followers online. But more importantly, she knows what she’s talking about—because she’s actually lived it.
This episode? It’s a love letter to movement, to mindfulness, and to not mistaking travel for therapy. Because let’s be honest, sometimes we don’t need another trip. We need to sit with our damn selves.
Travel and mental health awareness isn’t just a trending topic—it’s a real one.
“I travel to find myself.”
That’s cute. But also… lazy.
Somewhere along the way, travel became this buzzword therapy. You’re stressed? Book a flight. Heartbroken? Hit the mountains. Burnt out? Paris.
And then you land up in Bali, crying on a beach with a cocktail in your hand, posting “healing vibes only” while spiraling internally.
Anamika cuts through this like a pro. She tells it straight: “Travel is powerful, yes. But it’s not a magic pill. And it’s definitely not therapy if you’re running from something.”
Escapism vs healing through travel isn’t the same thing. And most people confuse the two.
Truth bomb: If your mind is a mess, changing your GPS location isn’t going to fix it.
Manifestation Isn’t Magic. It’s Mindset.
We dove deep into the world of manifestation—but not the kind Instagram has reduced to wishful thinking and glitter journals.
Anamika drops a truth most people don’t want to hear: “You don’t chase your dream life. You attract it by becoming it.”
You shift. You align. You stop begging life to treat you better and start living like you deserve better.
She breaks down the science and psychology behind visualization, gratitude, and subconscious reprogramming. It’s not fluff. It’s discipline disguised as dream-chasing.
And when I asked her about The Secret, Power of Subconscious Mind, and her own book? She said what no manifestation coach ever dares to say:
“It’s not just about vision boards. It’s about how you respond to life when it doesn’t look like your vision board.”
Oof. That one hit.
Manifestation mindset vs reality: this episode makes you face it head-on.
Floating Breakfasts, Cringe Travel & Alpha Kids
Yep. We went there.
From laughing about the ridiculousness of floating breakfasts (“You want me to eat my poha in the pool? No thanks.”) to unpacking how travel has been reduced to Instagram aesthetics, this episode had range.
But it wasn’t all jokes. We talked about Alpha Generation—those 8–12-year-olds who know more about climate change, emotional regulation, and veganism than half the adults I know. Anamika has hope for them. So do I. Sort of.
We also spoke about responsible tourism—not littering, respecting locals, and leaving places better than we found them.
You know, basic human decency? Apparently that’s revolutionary now.
Responsible travel and emotional wellbeing are closely tied, and this episode makes you see how.
When Travel Becomes a Trap
One of the most powerful parts of the conversation was this:
“If you’re struggling with depression or deep anxiety, solo travel might not be your therapy. It might deepen the silence.”
Let that sink in.
The internet sells travel as healing. But healing requires support. It requires tools.
Not everyone finds themselves on a solo trip. Some people get more lost.
Is travel a form of therapy? Only if you’re not using it to avoid your inner work.
And Anamika is brave enough to say it out loud. Because she’s seen it. And so have I.
So no—this episode isn’t selling travel. It’s selling awareness. Travel can heal, but only if you’re ready to meet yourself wherever you go.
Travel and mental health awareness needs more honest conversations like this.
My Own Coping? Delhi Driving Therapy.
We ended the episode on a fun (and very real) note. I confessed something personal—my own stress-busting therapy:
Driving a massive car through Delhi’s worst lanes, honking my way out while abusing silently in my head. Yup. Not proud. But also… not sorry.
Because healing doesn’t always look like meditation and gratitude journals.
Sometimes it looks like rage in traffic and mental cuss words.
And that’s okay too.
TL;DR – This Episode Is a Wake-Up Call.
Episode 3 is not about running away. It’s about pausing. Reflecting. Asking better questions.
Are you escaping, or are you evolving?
Are you manifesting, or avoiding?
Are you “finding yourself” or just changing scenery?
Escapism vs healing through travel: this isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey.
If you’ve ever romanticized travel as a shortcut to healing, watch this.
If you’ve ever felt guilty for not “feeling better” even after a trip, watch this.
And if you’re done with the fake hustle-heal-repeat loop—this one’s yours.
Episode Now Streaming
Watch now on my YouTube channel: Truth Shots with Kapil – Episode 3
Guest: Anamika Mishra
Topic: Travel, Therapy & the Truth in Between
Let’s stop glamorizing escapism and start having real conversations about healing.
Because sometimes, the journey you need most… is inward.
— Kapil Gupta
(Still not over the floating breakfast cringe.)
