Not a very fabulous year, this 2020 turned out to be. But it did part on a very adventurous and a high note. So was the beginning of 2021.
A lot happened this year. A lot that I would remember and cherish for the rest of my life and a lot that I would not mind forgetting. 2020 was a year of lessons learned, a year of slowing down and a year of introspection. For me, it was a mental roller coaster with a few moments too. Professionally the worst year of my life but personally, I evolved a little. I came to terms with my mental illness and the solitude helped me in dealing with it.
So much so that I decided to get back to my roots and walk into the new year alone, without any dependence and relying hopes on others.
So, I packed my tent and rode off into the unknown. Not the unknown per se but to a campsite that belongs to Hardik's first cousin. My terms were clear in my head:
1. I'd pitch my tent away from all the hustle-bustle and light.
2. I'd enter the new year with no resolutions and no human being around me.
The campsite became lively as the evening sky turned darker. People, mostly couples and groups of friends, roamed about and enjoyed the slowly dipping mercury. There was a nip in the air. Soon, the music and the alcohol took over and the campsite turned into a party under the sky.
Traveling alone has its perks as I have always believed. When you travel alone, you attract like-minded people by some magic. You may not make friends for life, but you'll definitely be an interesting character in an episode of their lives... and vice versa.
I met Amit(the brother), Anu(the sister), and Harry(the husband). From the North and currently living in Pune (Amit) and Bangalore (the couple), they were at the same campsite. "Got some stuff?", Anu had asked which started this whole conversation. LOL!
While I chilled with them for most of the evening, at 11.30pm, I wished them and excused myself to my tent.
HOMELESS AT MIDNIGHT
It was pretty dark, where my tent was. I had to navigate through a patch of tall grass, which led to a small clearing, just a few steps from the lake where I had pitched my tent. When I reached, THE TENT HAD COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND. There could have been many factors resulting to it.
1. My amateur tent skills
2. The dew softened the soil which resulted in the pegs getting loose.
3. My amateur tent skills. :P
it gets a lil tricky here. I had had a couple of drinks and was 1 of the 4 people who shared 3 Green Tea joints. Usually, I would have blown my head off over the sight of a fallen tent, I would have been very angry, frustrated, maybe even cried my eyes out.
BUT, I had promised to make changes. And nature turned out to help me.
the Moment I realized that I was homeless on New Year's Eve, I sighed, sat down facing the lake, and took some deep breaths. I didn't want to lose. I looked around. There was a calm lake in front of me. The gentle waves crashing on the rocky bank, making the most calming sound. The hills around the lake were slowly wearing a layer of fog. The moon shone brightly behind me. I realized that my face was forming a smile.
And what better adventure than the situation I was in?
10, 9, 8, 7... Happy screams of "HAPPY NEW YEAR", could be heard at a distance where the campsite was. Behind me, fireworks lit the night sky. With my arms wrapped around my knees, I sat by the lake and smiled.
"It's not going to be easy. It's going to be one hell of a journey from this moment on. But it'll only get better." said my mind.
Challenge accepted.
HAPPY 2021.
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