I’VE DONE MY fair share of traveling, both for work and for pleasure, but nothing could have prepared me for India. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit twice; both trips revolved around my close friend’s wedding, which provided a unique opportunity for a first timer to experience the vast country. Traveling between New Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, and Kerala, I quickly realized that no amount of time spent visiting India would ever be enough to get a true sense of it. My own inspiring and bewildering journeys could only ever scratch the surface.

I was between jobs when my friend invited me on the first trip to shop for her bridal trousseau (a collection of possessions, such as clothing and jewelry, that a bride assembles to prepare for her wedding). Before my friend even definitively confirmed the dates, my ticket was booked and I was off for an unforgettable experience. At the time, there were several things I didn’t yet understand, including what a huge production a traditional Indian wedding is, as well as the level of overwhelming sensory splendor that lay ahead.

The Shopping Trip

It was August, and despite the 95 degree heat, my trip to New Delhi had a focused mission: help my friend shop for her wedding. Along with her trousseau, my friend had 15 bridesmaids to dress. Her aunt, a designer, would be making all of the bridesmaid dresses, called lehengas. Our first order of business was shopping for the textiles that would be used to make the garments.

New Delhi on My Own

After the shopping extravaganza was complete, I spent a couple more days exploring the sprawling city on my own. Although I consider myself a pretty seasoned traveler, the sensory overload of being in Delhi was a whole different ball game. I found myself in areas that would quickly shift between complete calm and utter chaos — masses of people and cars moving in every direction with seemingly no rhyme or reason, followed by Lodhi Gardens, where there was a palpable sense of serenity. After even a few minutes of walking around the gardens, you almost forgot where you were. Then you’d step outside, and the frenetic rhythm of the city would swallow you up all over again. That was my experience pretty much the entire time I traveled around India: either being overwhelmed by the buzz or overwhelmed by the beauty, food, or by just how much there was to see.

Inspired by the wedding hoopla, in my explorations I stumbled upon an under-the-radar dress store at an outdoor shopping center. It was getting late and retailers were closing, but there was something about this shop that drew me in. The designs weren’t opulent, but they had a modern feel that I quickly embraced. For someone whose favorite color is beige, I was determined to find wedding attire that would push my boundaries.

There, I picked several looks off the runway and had them custom fit and ordered for the wedding. All I had to do was tell them where I was staying, and the order arrived at my hotel the day before the first event. I’ve never had a more pleasant and less stressful time finding something to wear for a wedding, let alone five different custom, tailored looks. Out of all the pieces, I was most excited about the cropped hot-pink blouse that would have typically been reserved for a flamenco dancer, paired with a white-and-pink tie-dye sari and long white-feather earrings.

The Wedding

Three months later, I was back for my second trip to India. The adventure started in Jaipur, known as the “Pink City.” It’s that part of India in the state of Rajasthan — which also comprises Jodhpur, the “Blue City,” and Udaipur, the “Floating City” — that conjures up images of royalty. There are giant palaces that are now hotels, and giant palaces that people simply live in.

After the Wedding

Spending so much time with my friend's Sikh family, attending a traditional Sikh wedding, and watching “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” inspired me to go to Amritsar, a city of deep religious significance. I wanted to see Amritsar firsthand, to learn more about the culture and visit a part of India that most tourists don’t get to see. Amritsar is also home to the Golden Temple, one of the holiest religious sites. The temple itself is everything the name would imply: a majestic golden temple, or gurdwara, that appears to float atop a man-made pool.

From Amritsar my partner and I made our way to the Wagah border of India and Pakistan to witness a ceremony that takes place when the gates along the border are closed. People from both countries congregate along both sides and cheer on security forces as they dance in an elaborate military-style routine. And then the gates close. Despite the turmoil that exists between the two countries, this joint celebration still happens every single day at the border. It was both beautiful and humbling to witness.