America, one of the most economically strong nations of the planet, is also well-known for its biodiversity. Particularly, it’s the national parks which are a total of 63 in number. Exploring all the national parks in itself is a journey that many visiting or living in the country take on.While many adults have set a record by visiting all the national parks of America, no child has ever done the same yet. Now, an Indian-origin baby is set to make the record.
The beginning of a dream
At 16-month-old, when most toddlers are busy playing with toys and making a mess, Aarya has a bigger goal to achieve. With her parents, Akshay Sharma and Aparajita Rai, the Illinois resident is on a mission to become the youngest person to visit all 63 national parks in the US.Her parents, who post travel content on their page, eternalvoyager1001, shared with PEOPLE that a park ranger gave them the idea when they had visited 15 parks with the toddler.“We thought that we could introduce her to nature and all the national parks, but we never thought that it would result in a record or something like that,” said Akshay. “On the suggestion of the ranger, we said, ‘Why not? Let’s go for it.”According to the mother, Aarya loves the outdoors. “She was in Yosemite National Park and there was this waterfall, and we were sitting in front of the waterfall and I could see her being completely lost, in a good way, like kind of fully soaking it in and enjoying the moment.”
Setting the record
In terms of her journey, Aarya is already halfway through. She has visited 34 of the 63 parks in the country so far. The rest, her parents said, they plan to visit within the next two years.“We want her to understand different landscapes and just be cognizant of the fact that these are treasures that you need to save for future generations,” said Aparajita.However, it’s not sunshine all the time. Her mother said that with a toddler, being flexible while making the plans is vital. “If she’s the one who is not really enjoying it, it’s almost a torture. It requires so much planning so your child has to really enjoy the same things as you do to continue it.”Now, the family plans to head to Alaska this weekend to check off more parks from their list. With both parents being software professionals, they typically plan their trips on short notice, often on the long weekends.In terms of setting the record, the parents shared that they are already in touch with Guinness World Records. “They have a very tedious set of parameters and rules and regulations that they go through,” said the mum.With the record, the parents also hope to inspire other parents to go out and “really enjoy with their kids in nature.” Ultimately, they just want to gift their daughter something she can be proud of. “Five to ten years from now, when Aarya grows up, she will see what her family has attained together. She will see that nothing is impossible in this world,” said her father.
