Key Points

16-MONTH-OLD AARYA, an Indian-origin toddler hailing from Illinois, is well on her track to become the youngest person ever to visit all 63 national parks in the United States. Along with her parents Akshay Sharma and Aparajita Rai, the little girl has explored 34 national parks of the country  so far, and aims to achieve her goal within the next two years. The family of three is working with the Guinness World Records to document and verify their achievement. 

The idea of exploring all 63 national parks with Aarya was not Akshay and Aparajita’s original one. When the couple had already visited around 13 national parks with their daughter, a park ranger put forth the suggestion. The current record is held by a child from Texas named Journey, who visited all the 63 national parks at the age of three years. If Aarya were to succeed in her goal within the next two years, then the Guinness World Record would be hers.

Speaking to the American news outlet People, Aarya’s father Akshay remarked on what prompted them to undertake this journey of visiting all US national parks. “We thought that we could introduce her [Aarya] to nature and all the national parks, but we never thought that it would result in a record or something like that. On the suggestion of the ranger, we said, ‘Why not? Let's go for it,” he stated.

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Aarya's Love for Nature Began Early 

Little Aarya is a born adventurer, says her mother Aparajita. The toddler has a love for nature and enjoys every opportunity to explore the outdoors. “I think most babies are very curious little beings. They get intrigued by small things, whether it's wind blowing through leaves, listening to waterfalls, or feeling the mist of the water on their face,” Aparajita said.

She further reiterated another incident when little Aarya was mesmerized upon seeing the waterfalls at the Yosemite National Park. “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,” she remarked.

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The couple documents their adventures and journeys via their Instagram handle @eternalvoyager1001. Their goal is not only to document Aarya’s experiences, they say, but also to encourage other parents to explore nature with their children. 

In addition to being an experience of a lifetime and a memorable journey, the couple hopes that introducing Aarya to National Parks would help her understand the importance of preserving these landscapes for the coming generations. “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. She's really too young to understand all that stuff, but if we take her more out in nature, she will develop love and care for nature,” Aparajita said.

Balancing Work, Parenting and Adventure

Both Akshay and Aparajita are software professionals, so planning trips with a toddler is a major hassle. Much of their trips are dictated by Aarya’s moods, weather conditions, and how much fun their daughter is having. Instead of forcing Aarya to endure the trips when she’s not in the mood, instead Akshay and Apaarjita try to adopt a flexible schedule and adjust the day’s activities.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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