Every MBA student, at least from premier B-schools, has times when he feels he needs to discover himself. Be it his plans about what job to take, or more generally what to do with his life! For me, well, I just felt I needed a break from routine and wanted to unearth something that was missing or was present earlier that didn't come up of late! Of course, your favourite professor teaching Emotional Intelligence has some part to do in this (For those who don't get this last line, EI is a wonderful subject, by far one of the top 5 in my MBA life)
Of course, everything needs a little bit of inspiration. When one of your close friends undertakes a solo trip to Goa, you definitely get inspired. More so if she motivates you to do the same. And of course, with some pushing by others too, I overcame by initial hesitation and booked tickets to Lonavala (thanks to IRCTC it works well even at 2 AM these days!). At the last moment, one push came from my classmate, he said "Go go, if not now, then when!" That moment... sealed the deal.
"You need your support groups without which, life will still be fun but not so constructive!"
Grab something to eat. It is going be a long post!
Most of my apprehensions were centered around bargaining with auto walas and making a conversation in Hindi. The good thing I did was I told myself this is not something I can pretend to conquer, and I will have to live with it. Went ahead. My plan was simple. Catch the 6.40 train from Dadar, reach Lonavala around 9. Have breakfast and go to Tungarli dam and just sit there for a few hours, go to Wax Museum and see what can be done later. The return train was booked at 4.40 PM.
Stage 1: As soon as I reached the Lonavala station, I took the wrong exit and wasted some time walking. "Good job, ak!", mind voice. Came to the right side - market side. Found a good place to eat, and yes I am recommending this place if you don't want to experiment too much with food - Kalpavriksha Veg Treat - it's just behind the railway station, on the way towards McDonald's. Dosa, Idli and I was happy. Now - I should move to Tungarli dam.
Stage 2: Asked an auto. 'Tungarli?' 'Dam ke upar nahi chal... (something)' I was flabbergasted. How on earth I was going to explain now. I had no clue about the place. Went to next guy. He spoke well, in a Hindi that I could understand. But he tricked me against going to the dam. He said 'I will drop you there but you won't get a vehicle to return. Ye situation hai. 300 and I will wait for one hour to drop you back in the station'.
"I came here for freedom", I thought. Didn't want some guy dictating my time. So I asked him what he would suggest. Yada yada yada... I went to Khandala, saw a temple, took some (useless) photos, came back to station by 11.30 AM. I will share some good photos though!
Though he meant well, I felt morose. I had five more hours to write off, and nothing memorable had happened since.
"It's times like these that bring out your attitude, character, and everything that you are made of!"
Stage 3 - Mind battles
I went to a nearby stall and sat down there... facing the road. As usual, the two sides of மனசாட்சி (conscience, the closest English word) started working.
"It's screwed up. I wish I was better prepared... I wish this had never happened"
(... So do all who wish to see such times [LOTR reference vivid]) "Now what? It's past!"
"This will be a bad memory"
"You can change it. You can choose. You have a choice - to sit down and give up or remember this day for the rest of your life"
"How the hell that's going to happen"
"Well, how far is Tungarli"
"3,5 km"
"Walk it off!"
"What? Serious?"
"Well, 5 hours. You can go and come back. That way you make it one hell of a trip as well"
I texted my friend. She said 'start walking'. "See", I said to myself. The second character won. One doubt still persisted...
"Should I trust Windows map with this"
"Can't go so wrong with a blue water body. GO!"
Stage 4 - The walk of freedom
I had already walked about 5 KM since morning. But all that was behind me. I wanted to see the dam and that was all. One guy had told it was good and that was all. Besides, I just wanted a quiet place. I visualized myself seeing the lake (or dam, whatever that is) and derived positive energy from it (Enough EI now!) I sat for some more time near the shop and started walking at 12 noon. This time, no autos to dictate my time. It was a free country and whatever good or bad I did, it was all up to my decision making.
After 1.5 KM or so, I took rest in a park. It was these common sense things that I did, which made me feel so good about myself. Didn't hurry, but it was accomplished. After about 2.6 KM, signs of humanity reduced. To add to it, Windows map failed for once. The route it showed didn't exist and I walked one KM extra to correct the error. After inquiring three people in broken Hindi about the right road that led to the dam, I continued. Suddenly I could feel the sun's heat for it was shining bright. The last kilometer was treacherous to walk - it was very steep with the road laden with rocks and pebbles. I kept walking. My fear of dogs vanished (I kept walking on seeing them), I didn't think about monkeys (thankfully there were none, that would have ruined it for me!) and other animals!
"Should I go back?"
"No"
"I am scared"
"No"
"What if?"
"Naa. Shut up and walk!"
After relentlessly pursuing the route, I reached the so-called destination of Windows phone. I could not see the dam. I hit a huge wall.
I couldn't see any further. I looked right, it looked difficult to tread. I looked left, it seemed to lead to nowhere. I waited for human beings to come.
I was panting for breath.
"That's it", I thought. "It's all over. After all this, I reach here and see this wall. Good for nothing. That auto guy was right. Kuch nahi hai idhar."
"Shut up. Wait."
One worker came that way. "Dam kahaan hai". He showed the direction. "Kitna time lagega". 5-7 minutes. "Thank you! See. There's something after all!"
But I was still scared. It was these non-existent mental barriers that stop us from doing simple stuff. This time, I told myself to break those. "Enough fighting wars that don't exist", I told myself. After walking 700 metres to the left, I could see water. Should I move closer? Yeah. Of course I cross-checked with one citizen if this was it, and he said yes. And I had more proof.
"You will always find horny people in Mumbai and its vicinity!"
There was a couple on the other side of the lake. Dot.
1.10 PM and I was there, all alone, seeing the crystal clear water, the amazing view of the Ghats and sun shining (somewhat being nice) bright! All that hardship was worth it. I could sense the harmony in my heart and mind.
And... one guy walked towards me. Then came a van. Apparently they were from KJ Somaiya, Engineering students though, around 10 of them. Took their group photo (The extra nice guy always does social service). None of that mattered much though. I was there and that was it. Mission accomplished.
Spent about one hour thinking, staring at nature and patting myself on the back. Got some photos clicked by them as well. Started descending at 2.15 PM. The return journey was relatively easy. The walk was quick. Took some nice snaps in between.
And breaks at same places as before - common sense. Time spent plus rejuvenation!
Bought chikki for home and checked-in from McD.
And there I was, the true old self. There are not many days I can recollect when I was this proud of myself. May be I needed something like this to know how much I can push myself to do the right thing. Of course, it was risky, but then, what isn't; may be it wasn't risky at all. It is all a matter of perception.
My ticket was till in wait list. After one hour though, I got a seat. And my fear of Dadar station also disappeared. Boarded a fast local immediately! This guy was different some 24 hours ago.
Back to Mumbai and traffic. Somehow, there seems to be more harmony in this world now :)
Ignorance is bliss, is true. If I had planned so much, I wouldn't have known my limits, or rather, the limitlessness - how much I could push myself. Sometimes, information is wealth, too... depends on what we seek. If you need to discover something, it is best to go with a clean slate. And that's how this day became memorable.
Try a solo trip. Write a blog. Click some pictures. Take a DSLR if you have one. Be a traveler rather than a tourist. If you are lucky, you might find something about yourself you didn't know! Feel good. Believe in happy endings.
Robert Frost was a great man! :D
Lessons learned:
1) Living the experience is way better than taking random photos
2) You can live without Whatsapp, Gmail for a day
3) You are better than what you think you are!
4) You don't need Himalayan valley to get inner peace - it's all in the mind
5) Windows map isn't so bad, but yeah, that's all it is
6) You can change fate - விதியை மதியால் வெல்லலாம்!
7) Being alone and loneliness are two different things. Being an introvert is fun! :)
Until next time, keep smiling!
Of course, everything needs a little bit of inspiration. When one of your close friends undertakes a solo trip to Goa, you definitely get inspired. More so if she motivates you to do the same. And of course, with some pushing by others too, I overcame by initial hesitation and booked tickets to Lonavala (thanks to IRCTC it works well even at 2 AM these days!). At the last moment, one push came from my classmate, he said "Go go, if not now, then when!" That moment... sealed the deal.
"You need your support groups without which, life will still be fun but not so constructive!"
Grab something to eat. It is going be a long post!
Most of my apprehensions were centered around bargaining with auto walas and making a conversation in Hindi. The good thing I did was I told myself this is not something I can pretend to conquer, and I will have to live with it. Went ahead. My plan was simple. Catch the 6.40 train from Dadar, reach Lonavala around 9. Have breakfast and go to Tungarli dam and just sit there for a few hours, go to Wax Museum and see what can be done later. The return train was booked at 4.40 PM.
Stage 1: As soon as I reached the Lonavala station, I took the wrong exit and wasted some time walking. "Good job, ak!", mind voice. Came to the right side - market side. Found a good place to eat, and yes I am recommending this place if you don't want to experiment too much with food - Kalpavriksha Veg Treat - it's just behind the railway station, on the way towards McDonald's. Dosa, Idli and I was happy. Now - I should move to Tungarli dam.
Stage 2: Asked an auto. 'Tungarli?' 'Dam ke upar nahi chal... (something)' I was flabbergasted. How on earth I was going to explain now. I had no clue about the place. Went to next guy. He spoke well, in a Hindi that I could understand. But he tricked me against going to the dam. He said 'I will drop you there but you won't get a vehicle to return. Ye situation hai. 300 and I will wait for one hour to drop you back in the station'.
"I came here for freedom", I thought. Didn't want some guy dictating my time. So I asked him what he would suggest. Yada yada yada... I went to Khandala, saw a temple, took some (useless) photos, came back to station by 11.30 AM. I will share some good photos though!
 |
| A beautiful view of what I think is the Western Ghats |
 |
| The WE Highway in all its splendor |
Though he meant well, I felt morose. I had five more hours to write off, and nothing memorable had happened since.
"It's times like these that bring out your attitude, character, and everything that you are made of!"
Stage 3 - Mind battles
I went to a nearby stall and sat down there... facing the road. As usual, the two sides of மனசாட்சி (conscience, the closest English word) started working.
"It's screwed up. I wish I was better prepared... I wish this had never happened"
(... So do all who wish to see such times [LOTR reference vivid]) "Now what? It's past!"
"This will be a bad memory"
"You can change it. You can choose. You have a choice - to sit down and give up or remember this day for the rest of your life"
"How the hell that's going to happen"
"Well, how far is Tungarli"
"3,5 km"
"Walk it off!"
"What? Serious?"
"Well, 5 hours. You can go and come back. That way you make it one hell of a trip as well"
I texted my friend. She said 'start walking'. "See", I said to myself. The second character won. One doubt still persisted...
"Should I trust Windows map with this"
"Can't go so wrong with a blue water body. GO!"
Stage 4 - The walk of freedom
I had already walked about 5 KM since morning. But all that was behind me. I wanted to see the dam and that was all. One guy had told it was good and that was all. Besides, I just wanted a quiet place. I visualized myself seeing the lake (or dam, whatever that is) and derived positive energy from it (Enough EI now!) I sat for some more time near the shop and started walking at 12 noon. This time, no autos to dictate my time. It was a free country and whatever good or bad I did, it was all up to my decision making.
After 1.5 KM or so, I took rest in a park. It was these common sense things that I did, which made me feel so good about myself. Didn't hurry, but it was accomplished. After about 2.6 KM, signs of humanity reduced. To add to it, Windows map failed for once. The route it showed didn't exist and I walked one KM extra to correct the error. After inquiring three people in broken Hindi about the right road that led to the dam, I continued. Suddenly I could feel the sun's heat for it was shining bright. The last kilometer was treacherous to walk - it was very steep with the road laden with rocks and pebbles. I kept walking. My fear of dogs vanished (I kept walking on seeing them), I didn't think about monkeys (thankfully there were none, that would have ruined it for me!) and other animals!
"Should I go back?"
"No"
"I am scared"
"No"
"What if?"
"Naa. Shut up and walk!"
After relentlessly pursuing the route, I reached the so-called destination of Windows phone. I could not see the dam. I hit a huge wall.
 |
| "Is that it?" |
I couldn't see any further. I looked right, it looked difficult to tread. I looked left, it seemed to lead to nowhere. I waited for human beings to come.
 |
| The land looked barren and I was shocked. "Where's water" |
"That's it", I thought. "It's all over. After all this, I reach here and see this wall. Good for nothing. That auto guy was right. Kuch nahi hai idhar."
"Shut up. Wait."
One worker came that way. "Dam kahaan hai". He showed the direction. "Kitna time lagega". 5-7 minutes. "Thank you! See. There's something after all!"
But I was still scared. It was these non-existent mental barriers that stop us from doing simple stuff. This time, I told myself to break those. "Enough fighting wars that don't exist", I told myself. After walking 700 metres to the left, I could see water. Should I move closer? Yeah. Of course I cross-checked with one citizen if this was it, and he said yes. And I had more proof.
"You will always find horny people in Mumbai and its vicinity!"
There was a couple on the other side of the lake. Dot.
1.10 PM and I was there, all alone, seeing the crystal clear water, the amazing view of the Ghats and sun shining (somewhat being nice) bright! All that hardship was worth it. I could sense the harmony in my heart and mind.
 |
| Looks straight out of 'Wallpapers' folder! |
 |
| Something that put me off. Why can't Indians be more responsible? "Dispose responsibly after drinking!" |
And... one guy walked towards me. Then came a van. Apparently they were from KJ Somaiya, Engineering students though, around 10 of them. Took their group photo (The extra nice guy always does social service). None of that mattered much though. I was there and that was it. Mission accomplished.
 |
| That feeling! |
 |
| Aerial view of Lonavala |
 |
| "One wayil thaniyaaga irundhene, Ini runwayil jetaaga parapene!" (Dheena) |
And there I was, the true old self. There are not many days I can recollect when I was this proud of myself. May be I needed something like this to know how much I can push myself to do the right thing. Of course, it was risky, but then, what isn't; may be it wasn't risky at all. It is all a matter of perception.
My ticket was till in wait list. After one hour though, I got a seat. And my fear of Dadar station also disappeared. Boarded a fast local immediately! This guy was different some 24 hours ago.
Back to Mumbai and traffic. Somehow, there seems to be more harmony in this world now :)
Ignorance is bliss, is true. If I had planned so much, I wouldn't have known my limits, or rather, the limitlessness - how much I could push myself. Sometimes, information is wealth, too... depends on what we seek. If you need to discover something, it is best to go with a clean slate. And that's how this day became memorable.
Try a solo trip. Write a blog. Click some pictures. Take a DSLR if you have one. Be a traveler rather than a tourist. If you are lucky, you might find something about yourself you didn't know! Feel good. Believe in happy endings.
Robert Frost was a great man! :D
Lessons learned:
1) Living the experience is way better than taking random photos
2) You can live without Whatsapp, Gmail for a day
3) You are better than what you think you are!
4) You don't need Himalayan valley to get inner peace - it's all in the mind
5) Windows map isn't so bad, but yeah, that's all it is
6) You can change fate - விதியை மதியால் வெல்லலாம்!
7) Being alone and loneliness are two different things. Being an introvert is fun! :)
Until next time, keep smiling!
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