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.

How I Found a New Meaning to My Life in Delhi

It was a late Saturday afternoon when I was getting frustrated sitting at home, which was incidentally a hostel in Delhi. The bachelor life in hostels and paying guest accommodations is considered very happening. People think that you can party all day long, or all through the year and never get bored or tired of it. However, at least for me, the truth is that I got frustrated with this lifestyle only after a couple of years. It was not because I could not afford to go for high-end parties or I never liked them. It was fun in the beginning, but somehow I started getting bored of it. Or you can say that I would realize the shallowness of friendships every time I would attend a birthday party or dance with someone I barely knew. 

Thankfully for me, it did not take too long to come out of the bighead social life. After a Friday in September, my head was taking rounds on the Saturday mornings because of the heavy alcoholic drinks I had drunk. I, being a male of the Indian society, hardly listen to someone who stops me from drinking too much. Moreover, people also do not care how many drinks I order. After all, it's my money, my life, and I have the advantage of living in a rented flat, alone! I was leading a lavish life until this lucky day when I wanted to quit every single particle of this extravagant existence.

Just when I thought of having a more meaningful living, I pondered upon what I needed to do. I had to stop meeting people who forced me to join them everywhere I did not want to go. I pledged to maintain a decent social relationship with unwanted friends and go back to find people who understood my frame of mind. There were a couple of old-school buddies, meeting whom I thought would be a great idea to re-align my life.  

Since it was too late in the afternoon to call someone, I thought of spending the day by myself. I wished to go for a drive, which I would always do earlier in other's cars. For all the time, I felt that I need people in my life for several reasons, one of which was hanging around late at nights in a car. However, as soon as I resolved to be on my own, I discovered that I do not need to depend for anything on anyone. I thought of hiring a cab, but then I got a better idea. I just browsed for Car Rental Delhi and hired a car that would arrive in four hours. Until then, I had a lot to do at home. I spent the entire waiting time with myself, cleaned the cupboards, arranged things for my future studies, and called a few buddies.

As soon as I received my car, I hopped into the driver's seat and left for a long drive. After driving around on the roads of national capital for more than two hours, I called my girlfriend and picked her up from her home. We talked and had a good time enjoying the ride in the Honda car; I felt apologetic to her for not being with her for such a long time. I felt grateful all over again that I have someone like her in life who can forgive me for every nasty thing I do and then guide me to be on the right track once more. We would never forget the night we spent driving here and there without any purpose, but I can still say that the ride gave a new meaning to my life.