EMBRACE THE HIGH: The Kind You Carry Home
Kasol/Manali/Malana, India (Jan, 2021)
There comes a point where you stop asking "can we afford this?" and start saying "QISSA's got this one." We don't think we'll ever forget that feeling, not because it was luxurious, not because it was extravagant, but because it quietly reminded us that the little dream we'd been building was finally beginning to take care of us too. So we packed six suitcases, three friends, way too many playlists, and enough excitement to last the entire drive to the mountains.
Looking back, we don't remember checking itineraries. We remember laughing over roadside chai, stopping simply because the view looked unreal, arguing over which café to try next, and rolling the windows down because mountain air somehow deserved to be heard. It felt like one of those trips you secretly hope never ends, the kind that convinces you you're exactly where you're supposed to be.
Parvati Valley has always been known for its highs, and people travel from everywhere looking for them. We found ours too, just differently. It was there in the pride of reaching a place our little brand had taken us to, in the freedom of waking up without alarms, in conversations that had nowhere to end, in rivers loud enough to drown every unnecessary thought, in bakeries that smelled like comfort, in snow that made us feel like children again, and in friendships that somehow grow stronger when shared across long drives, cold evenings, and absolutely terrible singing.
Some highs are loud and some are quiet, some arrive wrapped in adventure and others in stillness. Maybe that's what this valley taught us, that high was never just one feeling. It could be independence, wonder, friendship, freedom, the excitement of building something with your own hands and watching it slowly begin to give back. Or it could simply be standing in front of a mountain, taking a deep breath, and thinking "life's pretty beautiful right now."
When we came home, that feeling stayed. Not just the photographs, not just the memories, but the reminder that sometimes the best moments aren't planned — they're stumbled upon, shared with the right people, and carried with you long after the bags are unpacked. Maybe that's what Embrace The High has always meant to us. Not chasing one extraordinary moment, but learning to notice all the beautiful little highs hiding in everyday life. Because once you do, you start finding them everywhere.
Every collection begins with a feeling. What follows are the ways we try to hold on to it through scents, textures, sketches, keepsakes, and stories. We'll tell you about those another time. For now, we're just really glad you stopped by.
With love, always.
— su.i ✨