We are born as small creatures not more than a few centimetres long and a few kilos heavy. Through childhood, we grow, transform and learn without bosses dancing on our heads, deadlines to meet or stupid bills to pay but just innocence in our hearts. Those are the years which shape us into whom we become, and we don’t even remember them.
We grow older gaining weight; the weight of expectations on our shoulders.
Living in cities so congested, polluted, so fast-paced we forget to grow, transform and learn, we forget to be human. From playing instruments and sports, we end up playing politics every day. Once, a brave child who questioned everything, to living in fear of corporate leadership; doing whatever asked for silently. Every one of us is surviving, not living.
Human beings have a basic requirement of needing to rest, to take a break. Whether it is a simple lunch break, weekends or a few days, we need to stop and refuel ourselves. But, for what? going back to the same routine? to the grind of surviving each day without the slightest idea of how fast life is just going by.
But a few are happy in what they do. They can pause, enjoy life and then start again. Those are people who travel. “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind” and one such place to experience is the GOBI DESERT, MONGOLIA. The desert transforms people, makes one appreciate life and rejuvenates the soul. From the Khongor Sand Dunes, exploring the largest dinosaur fossils in the world, climbing spectacular high mountains to looking into infinity from the ancient canyon made of red mudrocks, it is life-changing. Waking up to mesmerizing sunrises with coffee that never tasted that good before, photographing epic sunsets and just heading into vast land on a camel.
The Gobi Desert makes one pause, feel the air inhaled, think not accept, see not look, listen not hear, explore and get the best sleep in years. With no traffic, dumb gadgets, deadlines, routines to follow, code to dress it truly transforms how we look at life. This glorious gift of nature makes one realize how precious life really is. We realize how insignificant we are in this universe and how important it is to grow, transform and learn; to live.
“The journey is the reward”.
