How I Conquered Acrophobia in Rishikesh

Feeling scared at the gorgeous mountains of Rishikesh was the worst feeling ever in my life! Conflicting emotions were going on in my mind. On the one hand, I was enjoying the feeling of being there on the breathtaking mountains and taking delight in the soft wind streaming past me. On the other hand, I knew that I had to go for Bungee Jump in a few hours, and just the thought of jumping from a height of hundreds of meters was taking my breath away. My friends were talking about the rush of adrenalin in their bloodstream, and I could feel my throat getting choked.

I have seen people jumping at the thought of going for skydiving, bungee jumping, and whatnot. But acrophobia is something that never lets me think about any such activity. I had never agreed to enroll for the bungee jump in Rishikesh, but my buddies had signed up for me as well along with them. During the entire journey in our Car Rental that we had taken from Delhi, I was googling about the ways to overcome acrophobia. Everything I read went into my mind, but it was hard for my heart to accept that I would have to take a huge, actually more than just huge leap! 

Nevertheless, I had already paid for the bungee jump, and I had to do it this time. I had already skipped many such activities in the past just because I did not want to be at an altitude in my life. Let me share how I finally overcame this fear of heights before and after coming to Rishikesh. 

· Seldom would I go to the hills before I had agreed for coming to Rishikesh. In Delhi itself, I had started increasing the height of places where I would hang out with my friends. Inch by inch, and then meter by meter, I was finally standing on a small hill at Purana Quila in the city. The monument is a historical delight, and while scaling a few meters each time, I noticed myself standing at a significant height. I saw the view of Delhi from there, and spend half an hour there just alone. Being alone and safe gave me the courage to go for more heights in future.

· After being on the heights, I tried to test myself in the water and sea. While being on a beach once in Chennai, I let myself be when I had to be in the water for a long time. I attempted my level best to stay determined to face the waves even when I did not like them much. 

· After a few such attempts on the hills and waters, I noticed that my condition was improving. I decided to go to the higher elevations, and I chose Rishikesh as my destination. However, my besties knew about my irrational fears, and my attempts to conquer it. They booked the bungee jump for me, and all I could say was a weak No.

While we were waiting for our turn for the jump, I meditated as best as I could. Finally when my turn to jump from a terrifying height came up, the trainer at the spot told me not to look down at any cost since I was sweating badly. They said to me in advance that they would not push me at any expense. If I had to prove myself, I had to leap on my own. I knew that I could not let myself down, and finally, after being there at the jumping spot for more than five minutes, I did the bungee jump. Finally! I was liberated from my fears of heights when I landed safely, and the staff took off the ropes and body harness.

We took our two Self-Drive Cars from the parking, and throughout my journey to home, I felt my heart feeling freed from all the inhibitions I used to have. The “I’ve Got Guts” badge that I got from the jumping site still flaunts on my desk in office!

My First Trip to Ski on the Himalayas

I was born in Delhi, and it's a shame to me that until the age of 28, I could not go to see the snow! I have traveled to several off-the-wall destinations to take a break from the chaos of my city and take a breather, but somehow, I could not make a plan to go to be there on the hills during winter. It may be because I feel freezing during winters, and I prefer to be there in the coziness of my blanket rather than go out unless necessary. God knows how I muster the courage to manage my office, which is no less than 20 kilometers from my home. Pheww! Even thinking about the tremendous courage makes me yawn and long for my bed!

Anyway, this winter in December, I knew that I had to do it; I had to go to the Himalayas even if I go alone. I have a group of four school friends; we have been lucky to maintain contact even after teenage. Although we keep meeting, all of them were not free at the same time last December in 2017, but Megha. She became my savior when I proposed that I wish to see the snow at any cost. We tried to convince Amit and Sheena, but both of them could not take leaves from their respective offices. 

Nonetheless, Megha and I decided to take a bus and leave for Auli. However, we could not get the Volvo Bus as we got too late to book the tickets. Nevertheless, we decided to take a car, which none of us owned, but the options of taxis and car rentals are always there. We had already explored the chauffeur-driven cars, so it was the turn of Self-Drive cars this time. We could not wait to begin our trip as I had a lot of things to do for the first time. 

Being in the passenger seat with someone in the car is a different experience, and driving on the hills is a different feeling altogether. Hiring a Self Drive Car Delhi gave me the liberty to drive it on my own, and have the fun of my life. I do not want to hide that the hilly roads are scary as well, but they indeed boosted my confidence as a driver. After driving slowly for a few kilometers on the curvy roads, I learned the way to maneuver the car and then I could drive it comfortably for the rest of the trip. 

As soon as we reached Auli during the afternoon, we checked into the hotel, which we had thankfully booked in advance and then quickly left for skiing. No doubt that witnessing snow for the first time was an experience one of a kind; I still cannot forget the breathtaking sensation that I felt when I saw the grand expanse of snow-clad mountains in front of me. After a drive of more than eleven hours, I had finally reached the destination. I could not resist my excitement and hugged Megha to thank her for coming with me. We enjoyed to our heart's content in the snow, did skiing, made snowmen, and played other snow sports. We did not forget to make Boomerang videos for Instagram as well! The trip to Auli will be the most memorable skiing tour of my life.