In 2001, I had the opportunity to travel to the United States. I was in my early twenties and, with no particular expectations, applied for a visa. When I opened my passport and saw that I had been granted a 10–year visa, my jaw literally dropped. It was far beyond my wildest expectations.

And so, I decided to embark on my first solo trip ever—to the United States of America.

My journey began with a flight from Bombay to London Heathrow, followed by a connecting flight to O’Hare Airport in Chicago.

I was fortunate to stay with family friends who let me explore the city on my own.

Travelling solo in my early twenties, so far away from home, was definitely outside my comfort zone. But somewhere between the excitement, uncertainty, and sheer novelty of it all, I began to discover a world that was completely different from my own.

For a short while, I felt like I was living the American life.

I began my day with early morning runs for coffee—long before Starbucks became a familiar name. The small neighbourhood coffee shops, had their own charm with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Apple pie and orange juice for breakfast, followed by juicy McDonald’s burgers for lunch and far too many hot dogs as snacks.

I loved shopping at JCPenney, which feels like another little piece of history now. And discovering so many foods that I had never even imagined existed because they simply were not available in India at the time.

And, of course, drinking real Coca-Cola. 😊

I had carried my Kodak camera with me—the kind that used photographic film reels, which had to be developed in a darkroom before the pictures appeared on actual photographic paper.

There was no screen to check whether you had captured the moment. No deleting a bad photograph and trying again. No mobile phone camera conveniently sitting in your pocket.

You simply pressed the shutter, heard that satisfying little click, and hoped for the best.

Unfortunately, my camera batteries—the trusty Eveready ones—died during my trip. And sadly I could not take any pictures.

That was particularly unfortunate because I was supposed to visit the top of the Sears Tower, then the tallest building in Chicago. I couldn’t imagine being there and not taking photographs.

So, on that day, I bought a disposable tourist camera. If I remember correctly, it had a roll that allowed me to take only 24 photographs. Only 24 precious chances.

I went completely crazy with it that day, clicking away and hoping that at least some of those photographs would turn out well. And these are some of them.

The photographs you see here were originally printed on photographic paper. I have photographed those photographs with my phone so that I can preserve them once again—this time digitally.

Looking at them now feels like opening a little time capsule.

So much has changed since that trip. The way we travel. The way we photograph. The way we experience the world.

There are no longer 24 precious clicks on a roll of film. We can take hundreds of photographs in a single day, instantly see them, delete them, edit them and share them with the world.

But somehow, these old photographs feel more precious.

This was 25 years ago.

I have travelled solo many times since then, to many different places, but that first journey to America remains special. It was the trip that took me out of my comfort zone and led me to two things that would become a lasting part of my life: my love for travel and my love for photography.

Things I did in Chicago:

Took a day cruise on the Chicago River

Listened to Jazz music on the streets

Went to the top of the Sears Tower

Went on a hop on hop off bus ride

Bent my neck 180 degrees to get a good look at the buildings touching the sky shrouded in clouds.

Spoke to strangers in the coffee shops and restaraunts inspite of me being an introvert