My Heart is Somewhere in The Mountains

Go where you feel most Alive.

Have you ever felt called to a place? Like unexplainably pulled in a certain direction, grabbed by a memory or an emotion, by the physical feeling of sand or dirt, or an arm draped across your shoulders? Have you ever felt like you’re standing somewhere and your heart knows before your head that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be?

That’s a beautiful feeling—to be pulled or to feel grounded, steady. To know, beyond a doubt that something important is happening, even if you can’t quite explain it.

Mountains teach us humility — As humans, we take a lot of pride in our achievements, over things we make. Mountains remind us that the best part of the earth is not man-made, cannot be controlled by man, and for the large part unpredictable.

Mountains teach us to be aware — Through the nine days, there were many times it felt like I couldn’t do it anymore. I felt like I had taken on more than I could handle. The destination felt like a blurred dream. I could hear my breath, and my heartbeat, and my heart was in my throat. I was aware of how every sip of water was helping my body. There is nothing more powerful than you being aware of your body. I couldn’t help but pay attention to how wonderful it was to be aware of my body talking to me.

Mountains teach us to surrender — In the Himalayas, there were so many times when I had to stop because I was overwhelmed with the grandeur of nature surrounding me. I had to stop to actually absorb the reality of being there at that moment. At those times, there was no ‘me’ and the world, I surrendered fully into the moment and became part of the wonderment.

Mountains teach us that it is not a race — Life isn’t a race. No one knows your journey; Hike at your own pace & live at your own pace. Trekking in the mountains, I had only one goal and one path — to get to the next destination safe and sound. All I did was to take one step at a time, soak in the beauty and be grateful at the end of every day for everything that went right. This is a lesson, I hope I can hold on to for a long long time.

Mountains teach us to be respectful — I live in a city where everyone wants to get ahead of the other even on their daily commute. While in the mountains, I was fascinated by trekkers from all around the world who showed kindness to each other. Everyone always said Namaste and encouraged each other along the way. Sometimes, I miss having to wait on the side patiently because a caravan (a bunch of donkeys, horses, or mules) had to cross. I wish the city-bred would show that respect to animals.

Mountains teach you to be grateful — Mountains teach us to be grateful for everything in life, big or small. The hot coffee at 6:00 am, the hot shower, and the really frugal hot meal at the end of the day felt so precious. I just hope I never lose context of how we just really need simple necessities to keep us going.

Mountains teach us to respect silence — Through the trip, I coiled into myself many times. The mountains were overwhelming. I had to be silent. I had to hear the silence. And sometimes, It is the most satisfying sound you can hear because it is only in silence that you can hear the stories of your beautiful mind. The time I spent in the Himalayas was the simplest and purest in all my life. I am back to city life now, but as they say, you leave the mountains but the mountains never leave you! Let’s hope the universe conspires to take me back, and real soon.