Hush the Hesitations…
I am the worst bag packer ever. I carried 2 trolley bags; I repeat 2 trolley bags with me for this trip. I was like yeah obviously it’s fine for 25 days. But that was the first mistake of this trip.
Oh, that’s not it. So before going, I had checked the temperature, and everywhere (Amritsar- Dalhousie- Mcleod, and Bir) it showed 25-32 degrees, for some places 40+ even. So, capriciously I did not carry any cozy jackets, just kept funky, thin fabric covers to look cool without paying heed to the fact that in the mountains, the weather changes every day.
I reached Mcleod and was welcomed by heavy rains. That place became a scenery but hello, the temperature dropped, roads became slippery, and my trolley bags behaved like brats. Somehow, reached Mcleod zostel and waited at the reception hoping that the rains will stop, and I will gather the courage to carry those bags to whichever floor and finally sleep like a baby. Luckily, I got the room on the ground floor and also got some help from someone (a gentleman you see) to keep my bags in my dorm, my new room!
Take that big leap forward without hesitation, without once looking back.
Instance one:
My reservation was in a mixed 6-sharing dorm (boys and girls stay together), and not in a female dorm. I was all set in my mind (before going there) that I’ll simply request a female room to avoid any ‘uncomfortable’ situations. I am in no way a misandrist but because I have two sisters and studied in a girls’ school, I just didn’t know what it’s like to stay with boys in the same room. How would they behave, and will they be kind enough to see me as a traveler (like them) and not as a girl who’s staying in a mixed dorm?
![DAY 1- Room](http://www.throughmyeyes.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WhatsApp-Image-2022-06-16-at-2.07.43-PM-225x300.jpeg)
When I entered my dorm, I was greeted with smiles and a very welcoming vibe! The guy, who had helped me with my luggage was one of the dormmates. The second guy made fun of me for carrying 2 trolley bags right on my face which made me embarrassingly very comfortable with my stupidity. After all the initial greetings, I straightaway went and slept for 4 hours and got up only at dinner time. The second guy made fun of that too by saying “kya badhiyan charo khane chit karke soyi aap.” At that moment I knew, I was allowed to take his case now and the whole superficiality was not needed; which put me to ease. After dinner, I played a few games with some cordial people in the common room, came back, and slept again, ‘comfortably.’
![Day 3- Room](http://www.throughmyeyes.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WhatsApp-Image-2022-06-16-at-2.07.13-PM-225x300.jpeg)
Instance two:
The next day, a bunch of people planned to go on the Triund trek. Sure, I wanted to go but as I mentioned, I did not carry one, one nice covering in those 2 bags! He without even asking lent me his nice decathlon jacket and also his trekking pole. [Some context- I get extremely uncomfortable taking other people’s things or even asking for them, so borrowing was not an option at all. However, my facial expressions are usually prominent which might have made it easy for my dormmate to read them]. I know, really sweet, no? I chup chap accepted both the things and covered my hesitation with a thank you and a wide smile. I swear, he made it to my good list right there! 😛
Instance three:
We started our trek; all pepped up I was- a cap, a bag of all essentials, and of course the cool pole. There were around 15 people in our group of which I knew only my dormmate. If you have been reading my blogs, you would know initiating conversations and making friends has never been my forte. So, it was in my interest to match the pace with the dormmate and reach the top before sunset. However, after all the good things he did for me, for some reason (I was slow) he left me and decided to complete the trek with other ‘extra cool’ people. Yes, this happened, and I had to convince myself that the people I was left with were nice and they shall take me with them and not leave me like him :/. There was a group of ladies who had come together so I knew they would be easier to deal with than a group of two young men, who were smoking, consuming dry coffee, and drinking (dhakkan dhakkan in their words :P) most of the way.
The ladies were really sweet! They even offered me their lunch and all way we talked about the places we have been to and about our interests. We also encouraged each other (mix age groups from 20 to 45+) to finish the trek on time. Eventually, that group rested for some time, and those two guys joined me. It was actually weird- the cooler, well-dressed guy turned out to be a creep and the other one with a ponytail and big beard turned out to be the sweetest. First impressions can be wrong as looks can highly be deceptive. I became friends with the ponytail guy (we still are) and completed the trek together.
Instance four:
We reached the top, all tired and panting but then the view, to say the least, was breathtaking. The attached photo is not even 1% descriptive of the view because what we can see from our naked eyes, can’t be captured through any high-tech lenses. Then I saw my dormmate with other people casually sitting there and enjoying the view for 2 hours, the fact that I ignored then very conveniently (because not-a-good-view, you see).
![Triund Top](http://www.throughmyeyes.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WhatsApp-Image-2022-06-16-at-2.07.41-PM-1024x768.jpeg)
Trek and all was fine but camping? Yeah, such thoughts. That was my first camping and the fact that it will mostly be a night out with boys and dogs (both make me a little uneasy :P) haunted me a bit.
Himachal dogs are the best companions one can ask for. They take your responsibility without your permission (which is the sweetest thing) and guide you the whole way. They are not simple dogs; they are the daddy of dogs- handsome and lavish. I was with my trek and dorm mate for most of the time. We explored and found a beautiful spot to gaze through and get mesmerized by the starry starry nights and decided to go there after the bonfire. We met new people, ate roasted marshmallows (that was epic), enjoyed the bonfire for some time, and went back to that spot with the 3 dogs- one protector for each.
![That crazy spot!](http://www.throughmyeyes.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WhatsApp-Image-2022-06-16-at-2.22.27-PM-1-1024x733.jpeg)
After sitting and appreciating the beauty of mountains and stars for a while, the dogs suddenly started barking – all in one direction. We also felt that something (for sure an animal) was scouting us…and we (at least I) didn’t know, whether to run or just stop breathing! Dogs barked continuously- now in two different directions. I convinced my mates to run because that was a little more practical way to save our life than the other. One dog led us, and two dogs were behind us to gauge the situation. They ran till we ran and made sure that all three of us reached our tents. Since that day, I have started loving and also respecting dogs- Himachali dogs :D. So overall, that night out was not bad after all! To be honest, that was one of the highlights of the trip.
![](http://www.throughmyeyes.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WhatsApp-Image-2022-06-16-at-2.22.27-PM-1024x768.jpeg)
Instance five:
My next destination was Bir Zostel- an exquisite property, hands down! Bir is first a place for monks and their monasteries and then a spot for paragliding :P. I always wanted to talk to a monk about general things, but I had this notion that they don’t like humans much and prefer to stay secluded. One day, when I was out on a lunch date with myself, a monk (a native of Bhutan, dressed in their usual red attire) asked me if I’d like to join him.
He had ordered a cup of coffee for him, and I had made the wrong choice of ordering thukpa for myself- wrong because of the quantity, that bowl was enough to feed four people like me. However, he humbly ignored my heedless choice and we simply started by asking how about of each other. Considering he was a monk, and I the worst small talker ever, we came down to root topics like freedom and the purpose of life. We concluded that the definition of freedom changes as we change. I might write on this elaborately in some days, and the purpose of life is just to live life- willfully. A very easy conversation on not-so-easy topics.
Though I had ordered the wrong food but I definitely ate it the right way 😊.
Instance six:
I was in Mcleod and Bir zostel each for a week and in those 14-15 days I made a few acquaintances and friends. Acquaintances, with whom I shared my travel plans and played a few games. Friends, with whom I shared my beliefs and thoughts and listened to their insecurities and dreams. I know it’s hard to make such friends in just one week, but we humans catch vibe and energy. We all seek companionship and kinship and get delighted when we find that in someone. We all say the same things in different languages. We all want the same things but in a different context and in a different way. When it’s important to harmonize with nature, it is equally important to harmonize with people as well. When it’s serene to listen to the sound of wind and waterfall, it is easy to divulge in people’s cries and laughter.
![Be happy!](http://www.throughmyeyes.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WhatsApp-Image-2022-06-16-at-2.33.58-PM-768x1024.jpeg)
On this trip, I realized that when it’s important to trust yourself, it is also okay (recommended) to lend your hand to others and take their help whenever required. As I always say, there is bad, but there will always be good to balance it out.
Do let me know your thoughts on this!
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