I Don't Want....

I don’t want someone who’s more interested in dating apps than dating, someone who keeps swiping left and right to find the next best thing, someone who is not satisfied with just one person and someone who lies about who they are in a few sentences just to impress a bunch of strangers. I don’t want someone who’s living in pictures, who only wants what looks pretty, who picks profiles instead of souls. I want someone who looks beyond what they see on their screen, beyond what they read in a biodata and someone who wants to date so they can find love instead of dating to run away from it.

I don’t want someone to prove to me that they’re paying attention to a Facebook comment or an Instagram like, I want more than just a double tap on a phone. I want someone to pay attention to what I say, what I do, who my friends are and what kind of person I am, I want someone to pay attention to the things I do privately, not the things I share with the world.

I don’t want to have important conversations over texts and share live moments via snapchats and video calls, I want to have deep conversations looking into someone’s eyes and I want to experience moments holding someone’s hand. I don’t want a connection over the internet, I want to build a real connection; a connection where two people decide they want to get to know each other without distractions, or bad internet service, without Wi-Fi or 4G problems.

I want a connection that’s far away from the digital world; I want a connection offline, a connection I don’t want to hang up on.

I don’t want someone who hides behind their busy life or someone who uses work as an excuse not to fall in love with somebody. I want someone who makes time for love, who wants love to be just as important as work and someone who understands that no one will ever be fully ready for love but you should always welcome it in when it knocks on your door.

I don’t want someone to tell me I deserve better or the timing is not right, I want someone who isn’t afraid of loving me, who isn’t afraid of taking a chance and someone who is more interested in finding solutions rather than excuses.

I don’t want someone who is more into quantity than quality, more into numbers than meanings or someone who is afraid of labels, of getting too close, of actually being loved. I want someone who is open, who doesn’t care about labels, who doesn’t care about ‘wasting’ the best years with someone who matters to them. I want someone who understands the beauty of commitment and the value of love; I don’t want someone who is reckless with other people’s hearts and guarded with theirs.

I don’t want a selfish kind of love and I don’t want a love that’s fake, a love that’s been given to a lot of people before me, and a love that is so easy to give because it’s not real. I want a special kind of love; the love that makes you wonder why you didn’t seek it sooner. A love that makes you believe that there truly is one person out there that will make you feel that no one else matters when they’re around and that you can’t see anyone else but them.

I don’t want a 21^st century kind of love; easily replaced and forgotten, I want a love that breaks all these absurd rules, a love that is not available online, a love that is not based on a bunch of lies and a love that no one questions because it’s clear and defined. I want a love that can’t be erased.  

(Chapter Five) : Day Four of Sandakphu Trekking from Sandakphu to Gurdum

The night at Sandakphu was the most trying night of the entire trek. However as the adage goes, the darkest hour of the night comes before day break, the tough night did make way to the most beautiful sunrise of our life. The morning at Sandakphu was welcomed with the dreary bed of clouds the unpredictable whimsical weather, the mist and fog along with chilled wind enveloped the 180 degree panoramic view of majestic snow caped range which made all us tad disappointed, but we waited like a fisherman does after throwing his bait but to no avail. We cleared the formidable obstacles to reach the top and it started appearing futile. There was a ray of hope which made us stare at the huge white wall of mist in front of us which wasn’t ready to budge.  

After a tough climb it was worth facing the vagaries of nature when we witnessed the pristine view of the celestial Himalayas floating above the clouds. Soon, the eastern sky began to glow in somber red and our efforts got rewarded when clouds began to clear out and we witnessed the breath taking monuments immaculately carved by nature making all of us laconic. It was another spectacular natural phenomenon which was absolutely breathtaking and mesmerizing when we get the view of massive Kanchenjunga in front of us, and Everest in Makalu’s shadow to our left. You get to see wide spectrum of all the peaks of the dazzling Himalayan Range right from Nepal all the way up to Arunachal. Not only did we see the Kanchenjunga, Everest and Lhotse but every other peak that is possible to see from here!

Finally the time to say goodbye to Sandakphu arrived when the limbs were ready but soul was reluctant to leave such a wonderful place and walk downwards towards the plain to Timbure. The beautiful memories of Sandakphu had squeezed itself into the heart. The journey until now involved extensive uphill climb. However the fourth day of the journey was all about descending, climbing almost 15 kms downhill walking across the jungle trail amidst the silent hills lined with the bamboo woods. Unarguably this part of the trek was very exciting as we passed through dense forest, heard whistles of wind through the copious bamboo growth of different shades and sizes, crossed several water bodies and finally felt less chilly wind on our skin. The dried grass which glowed in a golden colour in the sun, the blue sky, lending a creepy and eerie feel to the scene gave an enchanting feeling of bliss amidst the fresh air with dry leaves crunching beneath our feet to indicate our beautiful journey across the path.

However it was a test of our limbs and all of us had turned into Achilles with horribly weak heals by the time we reached Gurdum. Another worth mentioning sight of this days trek was coming across a forest of burnt trees. The beauty veiled under the eeriness of the burnt trees was very well dichotomized. At Gurdum we were welcomed to a beautiful green wooden house encompassed by towering hills in every direction and a small garden. Then further downhill climb to Timbure through several verdant growths, a dilapidated hanging bridge with a stream flowing underneath a couple of tiny waterfalls.

Finally, the last night of the trek was most stirring with everyone getting nostalgic and at the same time celebrating their victory of covering the challenging trek through Bon-Fire followed by sumptuous dinner. Local Sherpa’s singing and dancing with us in their local folk music.

A Journey of Friends turning into Strangers with Memories

Journey from Best Friends to Strangers

Friends Forever you promised, together till the end.

We did everything with each other, you were my Best Friend.

When I was sad, you were by my side.

When I was Scared, you felt my fear.

You were my best support, if I needed you, you were there.

You were the greatest friend; you always knew what to say.

You made everything seemed better, as long we had each other everything would be Okay.

But somewhere along the line, we slowly came apart.

I was here and you were there.

It tore a hole in my Heart.

Things were changing; our cheerful music reversed its tune.

It was like having salt without pepper.

A sun without moon.

Suddenly we were miles apart, Two different people with nothing the same.

It was as if we hadn’t been friends, although we knew deep in our hearts.

Neither of us was to be blamed.

You had made many new friends, And luckily so had I.

But that didn’t change the hurt.

The loss of our friendship made me cry.

As we grow older, things must change.

But they don’t always have to end, even though it’s different now.

You will always be my Friend!

Have Faith On Your Time Zone

Hello Friends,

Today I want to share a motivating lesson with all of you. We all go through lots of ups and downs in life. There even comes a point in life when we feel disheartened and get upset when our life don’t go as per our plan and we start losing faith on ourselves but believe me everyone has their own “Time Zone”.

Now, you all must be wondering what I meant by saying everyone has their own “Time Zone”. Let me explain this with the help of example:

Kenya is two hours ahead of Nigeria. It does not mean that Nigeria is slow, and Kenya is faster. Both countries are working based on their own "Time Zone."

Someone got married and 'waited' ten years before having a child, and there is another who had a baby within one year of a late marriage.

Someone graduated at the age of 22, yet waited 5 years before securing a job; and there is another who graduated at the age of 27 and secured employment immediately.

Someone became CEO at the age of 25 and died at the age of 50 while another became a CEO at the age of 50 and lived upto 90 years.

Everyone worked according to their 'Time Zone'... "Seem" to go ahead of you. Don't envy them, it's their 'Time Zone.’ Yours is coming soon.

Have “Faith” on yourself and on your “Time Zone”, everything will definitely fall in its place sooner or later…! Hold on, be strong, and stay true to yourself. All things will work together for your good. You’re not late… you’re on time..!

(Chapter Four) : Day Three of Sandakphu Trekking from Kalpokhri to Sandakphu

Hello Friends,

  

Finally Day Three was bright and challenging morning with dazzling blue sky, the lovely mountains, the chirping of birds, the cold breeze blowing with an immense roar everything seemed eternally beautiful. And after a mental preparation of hard toil for the day we took the last lap and started walking skywards from Kalipokhri to “Sandakphu”, the highest peak in the state of West Bengal covering approx 8 kms.

The first three kilometers was more or less flat and within one and half hours we reached Bikhebhanjang. The trail was zig zags up the hill full of Aconite plants. This Aconite plants is the reason behind the name of this place Bikheybhanjyang, Bikhey means "Vish" or Poison.

We got bemused seeing the trail upto Sandakphu, the gradient of the stretch was so steep that it felt like nose is about to touch the ground. It becomes increasingly difficult for me to describe the walk to the climax with an altitude gain every few meter. All the strains will simply disappear as you see the board saying “Welcome to Sandakphu”; you are at an altitude of at 3636 m/ 11,929 ft on the summit of Singalila range, paradise of trekking.

You got to be at the place to experience the feeling which no words can describe. If you belong to the concrete jungle and your heart is a chaotic battlefield every day, this is an ideal place to be. We hoped the weather stayed as it is and not deteriorate. But as they say – Man proposes and God disposes. The fog returned. The weather which looked like a beautiful lady now appeared an evil witch eager to rob us from the post card perfect views around. When we reached Sandakphu, the wind was blowing with an unrestrained rage and thick fog had blocked the view of the mountain ranges. 

Soon we made ourselves comfortable in the cozy room inside “Sunrise Lodge”. In these harsh terrains getting resources takes lot of efforts but we were showered with amazing hospitality which touched our heart and soothed our pain. 

In the evening post dinner erratic and biting cold wind started blowing straight from the Himalayas which dropped the temperature to almost zero making us shiver and gasping for breath due to thin air. We witnessed something that could aptly be described as miss and blink odyssey to Paradise..! With hardly any streak of light in the atmosphere atop the hill, the zillions of stars overhead seemed at stone’s throw distance from us. Enveloping the dark environ was thick canopy of stars that covered Sandakphu like a blanket. It was this overwhelming feeling of being on the top of the world that made us brave with élan.

(Chapter Three) : Day Two of Sandakhu Trekking from Tumling to Kalpokhri

Hello Friends,

The second morning of our trekking greeted us cordially with a beautiful glimpse of sunrise over the hill top, though the clouds and mountains tried their best to hide the sun, the tinge of a yellowish orange sky made for one of the awe inspiring view of Sleeping Buddha, the illusionary image created by Eastern Himalayas one could ever see across these mountains when the sun hit the tip of Mount Kanchenjunga and sky gradually clearing out and continuous change of colour of the whole Mount Kanchenjunga range basking in sunrays through the clouds was just magical colossal beauty of nature.

After the sunrise phenomenon we got back to our lodge, had our breakfast and started proceeding towards our next destination. It was a long day as we covered approx 14 kms crossing Singalila National Park which had a gradual descend full of ups and down covering 8 kms and taxing on knees but beautifully laden meadows replete in plush greenery of flora, bamboo and Rhododendron forests was rare and vibrant.

Usually the journey post lunch is way more painful and to add to the pain the trail post garibas was rugged hill with uneven stones which made the ascend complex and tiring. After Kayakata the walk was painstaking. Clear skies accompanied us most of the time but we knew that change is constant in mystical Himalayas.

In no time, we were once again walking into the mist and sight blocked by the chilling fog. The heart kept hammering into the chest as we kept climbing up and each turn leading to a slew of endless turn making the voyage absolutely irksome.

Finally we negotiated the hardship to reach our shelter at “Chuwang Lodge”, Kalpokhri where nature’s wonder a picturesque Black Lake laid amidst the mountains considered holy by the locals and waters of this lake, believed to have medicinal value, never freeze, even in the winter..!  

By the time we reached it was dark and really cold, all of us were exhausted after an assiduous walk. Once again we had early dinner and were off to bed excited with the thought of being at Sandakphu the next day…!

  

(Chapter Two) :- Day One of Sandakphu Trekking From Chitrey to Tumling

Hello Friends,

First and foremost I want to thank all my readers for overwhelming response, kind words and appreciation which all of you have showered over me, it has been very encouraging and motivating for an amateur writer.

Finally I start my voyage with trekking gears to an unknown land with new hopes and dreams to experience a different world all by myself. I met all my group members at Bagdogra from where we were scheduled to head towards Kurseong which is known as “Land of Orchids”. By the time we reached Kurseong it was late evening and dark so couldn’t see the scenery but our hotel “Cochrane Place” was beautifully built amidst the mountains. Each room were given the names of Mountain and had small individual lawn attached to it. The view and ambiance was spectacular.

We had our tour guide who asked us to freshen up and meet in the lobby for the briefing session where he discussed about the upcoming days and how we can get acclimatized to mountains and Jungles.

Thereafter, there was a brief introduction session where each one of us introduced them. It was surprising to know none has ever experienced trekking before and all were new to each other, leaving behind their families and friends and all sorts of inhibitions and comforts to explore an unknown land and rediscover themselves.

Each of them came from different segments of life and had unique stories and experiences to share which was incredible.

Thereafter, we head for dinner which was a lavish spread of local cuisine having its unique flavor which was a treat to the taste bud before gearing up for trek. We retired to our room and slept early as all of us were tired and had long days ahead.

The most awaited morning dawned with a beautiful sunrise at Kurseong which was the first sunrise of our BIG day. All of us were excited and thrilled to embrace the world of trekking.

After a hearty breakfast we drove from Kurseong to Manebhajnjan the origin of this amazing Sandakphu trekking. We took an uphill car ride to Chitrey as we started off from an incredibly picturesque village bright white Buddhist monasteries greeted us providing an insight into the mountainous civilization. We kept walking as desultory and dangling conversation prevailed amidst dazzling surroundings covering approx 10 kms. Since it was our first day we all were huffing and puffing during the initial climb. We were losing breath and walk turned into an arduous climb as we were not accustomed to mountain trails and lacked fitness. The path was full of surprises as we walked amid pine forests and chortens and crossed the scenic hamlets of Lamey dhura where we halted for lunch. Our next desired stop was at Meghma, another Nepaly village as we proceed further the weather turned around, the fog came thick & fast to engulf the view around. The dense fog reduced the visibility only upto a few feet and severe wind made us really cold. From Meghma we started our last stretch towards Tumling though it was steep but the gradient was easier. Finally we made it to “Shikhar Lodge”, Tumling. It was here that the mountain peaks revealed themselves. The valley below lay covered in white clouds, looking like an ocean. Far on the horizon, the peaks shone in a serene light against the back drop of the setting sun.

The evening was quite chilly and fog set in as we reached there in the evening. After having a hot cup of tea we retired to our room and had hearty chit chat with all group members. Thereafter, we had amazing dinner prepared by Neela Di, the camp leader, and a glorious entrepreneur who run the camp lodge all by herself. This is a common sight we get to see in North East, Himalayas and Nepal regions. Most of the setups are managed very efficiently by the women of the house while husbands are mostly Sherpas.

Post dinner, weariness had begun to weigh on the eyelids and soon we abandoned ourselves to sleep.

(Chapter One) :- How Did Trekking Happen

Hello Friends,

Today I would like to share my experience of first ever trekking trip which I did few months ago and the hurdles, angst, thrill and elation experienced by an amateur solo traveler…!

One afternoon sitting in office and glaring at the computer screen I started thinking what I am doing with my life, started feeling nostalgic with my monotonous corporate and routine life which lacked the thrill, adventure, fun & frolic of school and college life.

The idea of going for trekking struck my neurons and I realized that “Adventure can hurt me but Monotony will kill me” and thereafter I started gathering information as to where can I head off. I asked few close friends to accompany me but unfortunately none managed permission or had willingness for trekking and that’s when I came to know about this WOW club who plans all girls trip and luckily they were planning a trek to SANDAKPHU (the highest mountain of West Bengal)……!

The next big task was convincing my parents for travelling alone with a bunch of strangers and like all Indian girls even I was inspired and grown up watching Bollywood movies and read about the girls trip who are avid solo travelers and someday I too wanted to experience such thing and this was one such opportunity which I didn't want to miss out at any cost and therefore I managed to convince my family who were initially skeptical regarding my safety and wellbeing but later they agreed and supported me all throughout to make my dream come true…….

BRAVO….! It feels like an achievement after convincing everyone for travelling alone and finally making the entry in the eleventh hour and getting my bookings confirmed.

Till now, I was really excited and making my friends feel jealous but slowly the thought of going alone with strangers started to seep in making me frenzy and giving me willies of mixed feelings as to how coming days will turn into, how will I gel up with a group of girls who are almost double my age..!

I started to gather information and researched about trekking, read few blogs, made a list of things to carry.

As I started reading about trekking one thing became clear it’s going to be a roller coaster trip with a different wallop and challenges of living with bare minimum amenities unlike the luxurious trip which I often take with my family.

The shopping spree started for trekking equipment and I started gearing up for the mountains and wilds with the thrill and excitement of first adventure trip…..

Well the trip was an altogether different experience which I would certainly like to share with all of  you in my next upcoming blog about my journey on the trekking trails of Sandakphu…….……..!

Steps To Accomplish Your New Year Resolutions

Dear Friends,

Today with the onset of 2016 I am launching my first post in the world of blogging with my article about few easy steps to implement New Year Resolutions which each one of us can incorporate in our daily life & bring about a lifestyle change.

 We love the beginning of the year. Everything seems new and shiny (once the hangover blows over!). Everything is full of possibility, let each one of us imbibe the character to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.

New Year’s resolutions are the perfect opportunity for all those who have failed to start making the changes that they said they would make next week, next month, or perhaps when winter starts.

 I’ve decided to give you a bit of help – because since the majority of people fail to stick to their resolution, you’ll need all the help you can get.

The First & Foremost rule about New Year Resolutions is “To reach your goals, you have to actually have a goal. You need an end-point that you can visualize and know for sure whether or not you’re on track, and when you’ve achieved it.

• SET DEADLINES: One huge problem with many goals is that they don’t have deadline. A goal is only good when you’re reaching it, but if no deadline is in place, what will motivate you to push onwards. Set a firm deadline and by that I mean specific day. This will keep you in check and you will automatically be able to gauge how well you’re doing.Be realistic with this deadline, but at the same time firm. Don’t be someone who always talks about doing it; actually do it this time around.
• DON’T SET RESOLUTIONS FOR TOO MANY AREAS OF YOUR LIFE: The issue which people usually face with New Year Resolutions is that they try to accomplish a little more than they can handle. Don’t overload yourself and become overwhelmed and then get nowhere. That will only reduce your feelings of self confidence, making further goal achievements that much harder to obtain. Make only ONE Resolution, your chances of success are greater when you channel you energy into changing just one aspect of your life and your behavior.
• BE INNOVATIVE & UNIQUE: Don’t run and go with the crowd instead set the resolution which you really want out of your life. Your goal should be realistic and should be set taking into consideration your limitations, strengths & weakness. Never let setbacks derail your momentum.
• SET YOUR REWARDS: Give yourself a small reward whenever you achieve a sub goal, which in turn will help in maintaining motivation & sense of progress. Having a firm picture in your mind of what will happen when you reach your goals will help you keep pushing onward when times get tough.
• TELL SOMEONE: Open up with your friends & family about your goals, rather than keeping it a secret. You’re more likely to get support and want to avoid failure. But, you need to choose this person carefully as some people are uncomfortable with pointing out to others when they aren’t moving forward in positive manner. Finding someone who is comfortable doing so is critical otherwise they may not step forward when you need that push the most.
• IMAGINE YOURSELF AT YOUR RESOLUTION: A good way to reach your resolution is to physically imagine yourself having obtained it. Regularly remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goals by creating a checklist of how life would be better once you achieve your goals by creating a checklist of how life would be better once you obtain your aim.
• KEEP A RESOLUTION JOURNAL: Maintaining a Journal is a great way to keep you accountable. Furthermore, if you continuously Journal your progress you may find triggers or factors are keeping you from your goals and accordingly you can work to overcome them by coming up with solutions on how to do so. Make you plans and progress concrete by keeping a handwritten journal or on computer spreadsheet or memos & reminders in mobile phones or cover the notice board with graphs & pictures.
• CREATE A MEMORY BOX: Your life is full of surprises good & bad, at the time of grief and sorrows, you tend to forget the time when you were happy, when you were blessed, So this year make let each of you promise yourself to make a note on piece of paper and fill your memory box & see at the end of 2016 how heavy your memory box turns out to be.
• BE AN INSPIRATION FOR YOURSELF AND FOR OTHERS: You should set examples for other to follow by being disciplined in your approach and having the determination to achieve your goals. In order to do so, you need to inspire yourself and in return you will become an inspiration for others.
•  SET ASIDE SUM FOR NOBLE CAUSE: Everyday set aside minimum Rs.5 for all the 365 days which aggregates to Rs. 1825/- in just a year & on 1^st January, 2017 donate that for some noble cause or give it to someone really needy. In this way it will not pinch your pocket too much at once & the contentment which you will experience will be something beyond words.