How a trip to Manali gave me an Important Life Lesson

We were on our way to Manali. There was a minor landslide, and a few maintenance folks were fixing the issue to clear up the jammed traffic which was in no way close to the traffic jams in Delhi. I tried to get a peek of what was happening but my friend who was driving insisted that it was nothing to worry about. I tried to put myself to sleep again requesting him to close the windows. He conformed.

It was my first trip to Manali. I was in the middle of a major life crisis, and they say that traveling is a major source of some valuable life lessons.I wondered whether I could get a lesson that would help me cope up from this crisis. And I actually did. Two of my friends arranged the trip and we decided to drive through.

Manali is a heaven on earth. No matter how commonplace it has become, it never fails to lose its charm. The gigantic snow-capped mountains covered with frozen mist and the breathtaking valleys swarmed with tourists from across the world are beyond mesmerizing. To make it even more enchanting, hypnotic resorts in Manali like that of Sterling Holidays make the place look like an abode of Gods. One of the most enthralling experiences of visiting Manali is trekking up the snow-kissed hills and paragliding your way down. It is an experience that cannot be articulated in words alone. I have traveledplaces, but this trip to Manali was special because of reasons beyond human comprehension.

We stayed in one of those beautiful resorts in Manali. This was again a Sterling resort. It was pleasant and cozy. I insisted on staying indoors since I was not particularly looking to have fun given the crisis I was going through. I wanted to sit back and relax in a peaceful corner, and the resort gave me the perfect refuge I was craving for. But, friends are friends, and there’s no way to escape them. They were obstinate and determined to take me to sightseeing. We went to Mall road and shopping there was fun. It’s a colorful market with a lot of beautiful stuff. I bought colorful handwoven socks and a similar Aztec patterned cap. It was freezing cold, so I put it on immediately. We went ahead to visit the Hidimba temple. It was soothing and calm. While coming out of it, an idea struck us. We wanted to paraglide. Heading our way to SolangNallah, we decided to undertakeshort flights- all three of us one by one.

As soon as we reached, I was nervous. My friend arranged for the flight. I was the second to go. When my friend came back from the flight that took around one and a half minute, I felt butterflies in my stomach creating chaos. But a few minutes later, I forgot the world. When I took off, I was breathless for a second. A moment later, I realized I was flying. I closed my eyes and felt the wind brushing through my body and sweeping me away with it. It was as if I was undergoing a journey to paradise. For that moment, I forgot everything. Every fear, every worry and there was only me and the divine. I felt safe and realized that life was too short for worries. Everything is transient, and this too shall pass. That very moment, I decided to live life anew and make it a principle in my life that I would not let any human soul disturb my inner peace because my inner peace is what I can call dearest to me and that is what I want to live with. It was a moment of epiphany, and I rediscovered the real significance of Carpe Diem! That was another chapter I turned in the story of my life, and the lesson it came with will stay with me till my last breath.

P.S. The rest of my trip was insane. Those were the craziest three days of my life. We sat with villagers in old Manali and did everything Manali allowed us to do. *Wink*. Weheaded towards Rohtang pass and paid a visit to Manikaran. My spirits were high, and three of us became the best friends forever. We haven’t stopped traveling since then, and our wanderlust has been growing ever since.