This article is guest written by Arushi Jain!
It so happens in life that one starts feeling like they are the center of the universe. Not in a positive, being loved kind of way. The way which makes one question their life and its purpose. Teenage breakups, volatile friendships, irrational decisions are all evening specials if you catch my drift.
But the greatest minds always prevail; they thrive at the sight of difficulty and power through with enough vigor to make Lockheed Martin jealous. It is with an immense swell in my chest that I can now say - I am a step closer.
Not too long ago, my life hit a series of the aforementioned challenges. My mental health took a solid UFC punch and I thought I'd hit rock bottom. But father Murphy found a way into my life yet again and before I knew it I found myself sobbing unceasingly in the bathroom at 3 a.m. in the morning convinced that my life was going nowhere. Dramatic? Certainly. But what happened next altered my life.
My phone pinged, and a notification popped up. It was a brochure for an Outdoor Adventure and cycling program called Adventurer. My lunatic brain supposed it was a sign from the universe asking me to stop weeping and go out and start living again. I immediately signed up for this disregarding all the consequences that would pertain to this 7-week program.
A week later, the program began and it was TOUGH. Juggling academics, my extracurriculars, and this program was harder than I’d anticipated. I was getting barely any sleep, I was constantly tired, and my brain did not deal too well with the fact that my physical strength wasn't as great as others. I was constantly reminded of the HIMYM quote, "the decisions you make after 2 a.m. are wrong decisions". Was this the end? Was this just another impulsive decision that would end up at the bottom of a very crumpled bucket list?
Time brought salvation and I started warming up to the people around me. Man is truly quite the social animal because I drew strength from my peers. Everyone in the program had a struggle which they were trying to overcome. Some were trying to quit smoking, some wanted to escape their monotonous routines, some wanted to prove their strengths to themselves. Since everyone came with their own tussles, everyone was very understanding and a very soft and nurturing environment was created amidst the chaos that is life.
Every week we would cycle to a new destination, far away from the main city, along the shorelines or into the ravishing valleys of the western ghats. The mesmerizing sceneries would leave a little to no thought of anything melancholic. And for a while, all the tears and sadness were replaced by laughter and big smiles.
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Adventurer went from being an insurmountable mountain to a welcoming garden. I was brimming with energy days before the actual treks and rides which was just met with support and happiness.
I didn't understand how much I’d grown up in a span of just 6 weeks until the final excursion came. We were taking the second highest peak of Karnataka this time. It was a three-day intense trek. My poor choice in shoes had me injuring my feet on the second day. I had blisters and leech bites all over my feet and the climb was a struggle. I still had to cycle a distance of 100 km and my group mates were a little dubious about putting me back on a cycle. But I was dead set on completing this journey. Somehow I was overpowered by this adrenaline rush and managed to finish this. There were no words to explain my actions. I had finally done it. I wasn't the same person anymore.
Adventurer put me in uncomfortable positions, tested me at every given moment, made me face my fears, and question my strength. It made me spend time with myself, which was something I never did because it always ended in dark places. I like to think Adventurer cracked me open and made me explore a different side of me which I did not think existed.
It taught me to cope and manage my anxiety in a different way - When I stopped brooding over small insignificant things, I naturally started appreciating positive things more; people, scenery, color, smells, and with the new simplicity came newfound joy. I was not the center of the universe anymore. I grew to be self-aware, confident and became better at being with myself.
I have learned that life itself is pretty damn good and appreciation, gratefulness, happiness, and love are all transferable into every other aspect of my it.
Adventure is an attitude that we must all apply to our day to day lives. We need to be more audacious with our approaches because as TS Eliot so marvellously put it- "Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they go."
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What does it mean to be an adventurer to you?
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