3 Things I Learned About Myself While Trekking in Dharamshala

Over the last four days, my children, Ayaan (12) and Anjali (10) and I trekked in the mountains in Dharmshala. There was absolutely no reception in the mountain (I knew), and for the first time since I have had a mobile, I was totally off the grid. And. It. Was. The. Best. Experience. Ever.

I enjoyed quality time with my children, marvelled at breath-taking views, played board games, sang around a bonfire, ate s’mores, waded across rivers, sipped my hot morning coffee without any devices, touched snow and even relished the local food.

During this journey, I learned 3 things about myself.

1.??????I don’t always need to be FIRST. I learned to enjoy the process and not just focus on the destination.

I am goal oriented and extremely competitive. Whether in school, at university or even at work, I strive for excellence, always wanting to “win” and “be first”. When we started the hike, I was always the lead, walking ahead of everyone. My daughter turned around and said to me “Mama, you don’t always have to be first. Let all the children go first. Enjoy the views. Please pace yourself!”

Initially, I rolled my eyes, but heeded her advice. I stopped ever so often to admire the panoramic views, had meaningful conversations with others in the group, and actually felt content just walking at a normal pace, rather than racing up the mountain. It’s amazing how much your children can teach you.

2.??????I don’t always need a plan. It’s ok to go “with the flow”

I am a forward planner and it irks me when I have to “change my plan”. As a mom and entrepreneur, forward planning is essential to “do it all” and when that is disturbed, I get perturbed very easily.

On the second day of the hike, we planned to trek to a Ram temple, located at the summit of one of the mountains. All the children were not keen and mid-way insisted that we hike to the glaciers. (We could see another mountain in the distance with snow) Unlike myself, I agreed and convinced the camp directors to take us to the glaciers instead of the Ram temple. There was a treacherous river crossing, unstable rocks we had to clamber on, and several parts that were steeply inclined. All the children were troopers and we made it to the top and even had a small snowball fight.

I realised that sometimes it’s ok to change the plan. I’m glad I was open minded and went with the flow. What precious moments we experienced in the snow!

3.??????Technology makes us more disconnected, not connected.

Every morning, I wake in the morning and check my phone “to see what messages I missed while I was asleep”. When my children are having breakfast, my phone is with me so I can “check the time so I know when to go down to catch the school bus” From the moment I wake up, I am glued to the screen, always making excuses to myself that I “need to have my phone with me”

During the trek, I did not even know what time it was most of the day. I woke up, walked straight to the kitchen tent and poured boiling water into a mug to make my morning coffee. I took my mug of coffee and perched myself on a nearby rock and sipped it while enjoying the views and listening to my thoughts. There was no reason I needed my phone.

I have come back from the trek physically tired, but mentally rejuvenated. Being in nature just makes you see life from another perspective. I’m of course happy to be back and am already back to the grind, but taking time off (completely) once in a while is crucial. I cannot wait until my next trekking adventure in the mountains. I have a lot more to learn about myself.?