Last December, I went mountaineering again in India - to "discover India", so to speak. However, everytime I go back to the Sahyadri mountains, not only do I discover India, but I discover myself, or I should say more about myself.
It's an amazing feeling! To know that you are capable of more than you thought you were; more than your own family thought you were. Every drop of sweat is worth it when you reach the summit and feel the cool air while you indulge in the most beautiful of sights.
It doesn't take a lot to make you happy when you're in nature. Just the sight of a butterfly or kids playing a game of cricket in the countryside brings a smile to your face. What a wonderful world!
It is not too often that one gets to live in the present. We constantly think about our past and the future ... while taking a shower, commuting to work, or sitting in our little cubicles thinking we're doing important work. Mountaineering allows me to live in the present. It is a state when there is nothing but now in my mind. To live in the present - what a rare treat that is!
