People say it’s impossible for women after 40 to go on trips! To actually trek to greater heights- a rarity. Well to which I would say- there are a lot of live examples of women including myself who geared up boldly to trek for the first time ever and asserted that I have no regrets about it.
Like a stereotypical housewife, I donned many hats. Juggled the role of a father and mother. Raised my daughter largely on my own. In this 25 years of my married life I literally' wore the pants'. Did all the tasks a man is expected to carry out on the Homefront. Due credits to my hubby for the financial backup but life in Mumbai for a lady to manage single-handedly ain't easy. I bore the brunt of it over the years. Trapped literally with the walls of a home. With menopause tiptoeing close at heel, it was becoming claustrophobic. I seemed to have drawn a curtain over by bubbly, confident self. This is when my friend came to the rescue and suggested a trip and the trek to Himachal materialized. It was like a calling I had only one answer that came from deep within ...The mountains are calling. I am going!
As soon as my eyes met those gigantic mountains, covered with snow peaks with soft lush grass, sheep and cows grazing and so much open space, I went crazy. It felt like I was a little girl and was thrown into the space I had longed for all my life. Little did I know, we were going to trek all our days here. Unprepared, nervous, and anxious but I calmed myself and pushed the limits to trek nonetheless. Proud of myself for having done 3 treks out of 4.
I had my guards up all the time, having chronic joints pain it wasn’t easy to trek on a rocky, marshy road, and with the weather being uncertain all the time. I kept motivating myself, having to satisfy the hunger of exploring new places and, to know the untold stories of people along the way. I was conscious of my every step. I used to halt at times when my heart raced and I experienced shortness of breath but that was just momentary not harsh enough to stop me. Not only did I complete the treks but also conquered my health problems, pain, emotional baggage, and hurt. Traveling to a new place takes you to a different world altogether. I had forgotten about all my routine issues which then made me realize the amazing things I am capable of. How little our time is, here on earth, and while we are at it, we should live to our fullest. The scariest part of the entire walk was on the 2nd day was when I had to cross and jump over a foot-long steep marshy land. It took a lot of courage to even be able to step and look down into the steepness of the crack. But as I climbed and jumped over my knee joints celebrated by making a huge 'POP' sound that scared the wits out of everyone and even took my breath away; but we all rejoiced and went about with our trek. Isn’t this life all about enjoying and keep moving forward?
The trickiest part of all was to go on a 12 km trek but seeing everyone doing it, made me not want to be left behind. That's it! That was the motivation that kept me going. 'Idhr aake trek nhi kiya toh kya kiya? 'I am a very normal person and wish to live my life doing what I love the most. Sipping tea with a view of the gorgeous mountains in front, the icy breeze caressing my face-I was living my fantasy without a care of the world. This trip assured me that I must stop seeking my happiness cause it lied within me! So yes, all I did was take a ' Chill pill'. The lofty mountains don't move. While they peacefully stand tall and strong they seemed to be echoing ' Stay calm and you can move mountains!'
The thing that added to my learning experience was that this solo trip with the like-minded women community of The Flapper Life, it filled me with so much confidence and grew my belief in myself to overcome anything. The mountains were magical - they relax and calm you. For me, the trek in the mountains was sort of therapeutic. This was such a big achievement for me. When you embrace the great outdoors, you improve your mood and boost your energy levels. The trip assured me that age is just a number and Nature is the best healer.
A maiden journey of the creator's beautiful composition, our lovely FlapperRachna, a dedicated homemaker, a loving wife, a doting mother, and above all a woman with an indomitable spirit as narrated to and curated by Sejal Ranka.