Inside the Outdoors....Finally!

Nothing beats working the outdoors! I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to swim in a lake, stare at the stars, climb rocks, canoe into sunsets and walk the wilderness. The family of instructors who worked the program are the most adrenaline powered beings I’ve encountered. Artists, climbers, snake catchers, adventurers, peace makers and explorers. From working peace games in the Middle East to crazy cycle expeditions, every person had bizarre story. The stranger ones were tales of experiences almost as old as me. Here work was an experience! After years of indecision, confusion and constant inconsistency, I finally found what was looking for me.

Every morning was a mystery waiting to unfold. I missed nothing of the past. Instead of my crowded train I trekked to work. Instead of a boss, I worked with a crazy team of beautiful individuals. No cubicles, no office smells, no chair! The sun kept time as we worked wherever we wanted to. One day at big tree the next at the lakeside. Every other night we transported a generation of Harry potters into magic land spinning lights at the lake. And along with the stars and multiple circles of light, a magical glow radiated from every kid.

When it comes to responsibilities I usually escape with finesse. But this time around, I realized the responsibility I had undertaken when the kids looked at me with fear creeping out through their ears. The path was two feet too close to a bloody edge. I could plummet but worse still, so could they. After cuts, cries and several bruised egos, we all walked down stronger people. Ten days into making leaders of kids I looked back at the unmistakable energy that guided me to this transfiguration. Boy to man and the death of assumptions.

Big Bada Boom

I could feel a calling in my bones, a goddess was summoning me and everywhere i wandered the trees talked of a journey to parvati. Although the ' chalo parvati' was a common utterance, for a me it held great significance. finally after all the years of talking about it, i made my journey to the source. with almost no money, I embarked on a pilgrimage to pay my respect to the mountains. Conversing with eleves, faires and other magical beings, I realised how far I was from everything that defined civilization. I was free of that incessent traveller talk , free of the pretence, free from the shackles of the city and most importantly, free from me!
it was only when i ran out of money ( or rather the money ran out on me) that I knew how little I actually needed and how much life dealt me. Apples and pears for when i was hungry, clear water from the white river, and the mountain bounty for that big Boom. Even now the cry BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM echos throgh my head. Never had it sounded so holy, so powerful, so arcane, and each time we called shiva, the chant bonded us , like tribesmen of a different civilization. Last night, I dreamt of the mountains , with a blue flame summit, and instead of climbing the rugged outsides, the way to the peak was a climb from the inside.