A couple months ago, I took a trip to the mountains.
Sure, it was the cliched “get away from the city for a bit to find yourself” trip. But it was also a million more things for me.
Now for someone who actually dreads the mountains, (owing to the bone chilling cold at that altitude, the claustrophobia of the ranges closing in on you and the general unpredictability of the mountains) this trip was quite something.
But my greatest fear was that of breaking my routine. While in the comforts of my city, my job and my meticulously followed routine, I had the time to assign all my brain cells to things that actually bothered me. But the mountains completely changed all of that and my fears confronted me like a slap in the face.
The biting cold, the want of warmth, the excitement to explore, and the vigilance to stay safe threw me out of my routine and straight into survival mode. And it has by far been the most trying experience of my life and at the same time, the most enriching.
The beauty and serenity gave me time to get used to the solitude. It helped me think about the kind of person I want to be and what I’d like to do to evolve. It helped me ponder over my philosophy of life.
Most of all, the mountains taught me not to judge. People, landscapes and things. And not because everyone has their own struggles. I mean, sure they do. But beyond the judgements and conclusions, there is more peaceful, more accepting, more level playing field. And I’m going there, one way or another.
Like Rumi said, “Beyond the idea of wrongdoings and right doings, there is a field. I will meet you there”. And this resonates just perfectly.
Tejaswini Halthore 