Calm & Restless
Dancing between a paradoxical state of mind
Hello!
It has been 3 weeks since I’ve been living here in the mountains. The coming week is going to be my last here. I’m sending you this newsletter with a bittersweet feeling, with nothing but gratitude for this place, the people from here and the nature itself.
When the clouds descended onto Mussoorie
It rained here heavily last Sunday. Rains feel different up here in the mountains.
It was a great weather to have a quiet day, read and write a little - the rain outside and the calm within. Depending on what you feel about it, this sound is both a sound that can make you lie awake the whole night or create an ambience that helps you find the best sleep of your life.
I slept well myself. After a night of heavy rain and thunder, I set out on a run the next morning because the sun came out. I noticed the clouds had descended onto the little village I’m living in. I had to go to Mussoorie that morning to get a COVID test done again (negative!). It was one the most picturesque bike rides of my life.
If you are fortunate enough to be at Mussoorie when the clouds descend onto this quaint town, you will witness a sea of clouds completely covering the city - passing through the streets as if walking along with you. Going a little further up in altitude, the peaks of the mountains fight their way through the clouds - almost looking like little islands in the sky (check this picture).
I am but a mere traveller here, like the clouds who stroll through the streets and leave eventually. But something makes me feel at home here even despite the great difference between this town and the metro cities I’ve lived in all my life.
I am sure that I will be back here again. Maybe some other weather, some other people, some other stories become a part of my experience then. But mainly, I want this town to play a bigger role in the story of my life.
Here are the pictures & videos for you to check them out in full screen. Trust me, you don’t want to miss out. They are absolutely beautiful.
Rendezvous with the Secret Waterfall
Last week’s newsletter featured my trip to this Secret Waterfall. I visited there again this week, taking along some new travellers with me. I’m no travel guide, but I find myself wondering if I could be one. I wanted to go back here to this waterfall with another friend who has already left this town. I went with another set of people then, but it was as beautiful as ever.
The reason why I like traveling slow is to really cherish the beauty of the places I visit and spread the word to other travellers who visit there. Immersing myself in these places makes me realise how little the world outside affects me. The news, the politics, the terrible cruelty & suffering of people around the world, the markets & the businesses, the technology & the developments, the cities & the hustle, none of it has gotten to me in this last month. None of it is has overwhelmed me in the last month.
But I am restless now. Every time I travel, there comes a moment when I know my time there is up. That moment came to me this Friday. I knew I was having a wonderful experience here, but my time here is up and I must find another path to journey upon.
Click for the pictures & videos and see some more pictures of the hike!
Snippets from my journal:
This last week has been filled with confidence & self doubt at the same time. Dancing between this paradox has been interesting. People who believe in me seem to believe in me more than I do in myself. I asked myself this last week:
Do I want to find something I can do or do I want to find something I want to do? Going back to studying, finding a new job during a pandemic, getting back to traveling & writing have all been actions taken for the latter - finding something I want to do.
I chose to let go of some good opportunities I came across. If a global pandemic doesn’t wake me up to taking decisions for the life I want to create, what else would?
The month here has taught me to stop “finding” myself and start “creating” the version of myself that I desire.
How are you creating the version of yourself you want to become?
Can I help add value to you in any way? Let’s talk about it. Text me on Twitter or IG!
Gratitude - Simplicity, innocent ambitions, kindness:
In some fleeting moments, I feel afraid of going back to Pune. These people up here call me ‘family’. They tell me that I have become one of them. They look at me as one of them. I’m not just a customer anymore.
I could have easily got my own groceries and cooked. But I appreciate the love they put into the food they make specially for me. I let them. They know I am a vegan - although I doubt they understand the concept much, they try their best. They experiment their best dishes and modify them for me.
It feels strange to have to leave a place where people so openly express their affection for me without any expectations in their heart. They make me see how simple it can be to spread kindness.
Balli bhaiya, Devendra bhai and Rangad ji (L-R) are three gems that I doubt I’ll ever forget. There is another one who isn’t in this picture. I wanted to save a section for him alone. More on him next Sunday.
What/who are you grateful for? I would love to hear.
I’m sure they would love to hear too. Let them know below!
Talk to you next Sunday with some more beautiful stories from the mountains!
In the meantime, if you find value in these newsletters, do share them with your friends or over social media! I’d be very grateful :)
❤️