How trekking changed my attitude towards life

Pampering myself with all the worldly pleasures made me happy until trekking happened to me.

I had done my first Himalayan trek at the age of 16, and I always wanted to come back to the Himalayas. Over the time priorities had changed and making a decent career had taken a front foot. As soon as I realise that I need to keep all my passions alive, I started trekking again. I gave break to badminton, dance, weekend get togethers and road-trips and took long leaves to head to the mountains. I got addicted to this adventure just as someone would get to drugs.

My initial couple of treks were more about taking pride in the sense of achievement. The more i trekked and spent time in the mountains, the more I realised that I don’t need materialistic frills to be happy. I was my happiest self living out of a backpack in the toughest conditions. I literally lived with basic necessities - food, clothes, shelter (tent). Nothing more! I carry my own backpack while i climb and every ounce counts at those high-altitudes where the oxygen levels drop to just survival.

I needed more utility clothing than any fashionable clothes. I carried only the survival gears. 4 pairs of clothes to last for 10 days. None of the brands made sense there.
I didn’t take bath for all these 10 days and I looked the freshest, my skin glowed, my hair shined without any professional styling products that I was used to otherwise. 

The simple eggs, rotis, veggies, dal chawal, tasted so much better in these altitudes, which none of the fine dining in the cities could match upto.
I loved taking the trails where no vehicle or human would reach. I got addicted to freedom, space and pollution free environment.

The life-threatening problems I faced on the treks made all the problems we face in our daily lives look so small, that I stopped worrying about them altogether. 
But i was happy, everyday! Doing things I love made me happy and not buying things, I realised!

And this realisation proved costly too.
High rise buildings and malls looked depressing to me. I need lot of space to gaze my eyes around.
I felt restricted on the roads stuck in the traffic jams. I need my freedom to move around as per my will and choice.
Pizzas and burgers no more satisfied my taste buds. I craved for the fresh basil, mint, spinach straight from the organic lands.
Working from desk in a virtual world didn’t motivate me at all. I got used to sensing life with real human connect.

I stopped buying unnecessary things, I would buy only what I needed. I stopped buying plastic completely. I would carry my own cotton bags to grocery shopping. I walked more to minimise the use of petrol. I cooked my own food and stopped eating out frequently. I kept a check on my drinks too because I started aiming for tougher treks each time and fitness was of prime importance. I started saying no to every party so that I could save for my treks and international travels.

I very smoothly transited to a phase of minimalistic living without me even realising about it. When I sensed I was already in "THE PATH", life seemed more meaningful and beautiful.

​Read my other posts on "QUITTING MY JOB" series:

How Scuba Diving in Andaman encouraged me to quite my job

What I'm doing with my life after quitting my job