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Friday evening at work, I was pretty bummed that my friends had cancelled out on me. Being an IT zombie makes just about everything frustrating. I had two options. First, to spend the weekend at my place and chill or Second, to just leave for somewhere without a plan. On some other day, I'd have boarded the office cab but I was in a bit of an existential crisis, you see. We all know that makes us do stuff that we normally wouldn't, thank god for that. So I left, with just the Great Himalyan mountains in my mind. Experiencing something that magnanimous sometimes shrinks down your problem. You get a perspective. That's all I was looking for, in that moment. So, I went solo. I had no idea what to do and where to go. While I was on the bus to Manali(a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, India) I found a deal online and booked it. It was supposed to be riverside camping. I thought I'll just roam around, hike and smoke up maybe. All by myself. Little did I know then. When I reached the campsite I saw the signboard and l remembered the camp's name, "The Wrong Address", and I couldn't help but smile. Thank god I didn't ask for directions. So, I met the owner and we got along really well. He introduced me to the other people that were already there. We all went to a nearby hot water spring (they have a lot of those there, pure gold I tell you). While watching groups have a laugh together made me a tad bit lonely, but then I made friends with two other solo travelers there. It's unbelievable how quickly we got familiar. We didn't know each other an hour ago, and there we were planning what to do in the evening. The plan was to hike to the sunset point and then come have some drinks and dinner, with bonfire and music. That plan went to hell, and we had a pretty awesome drunk karaoke night instead. Here's to people and places unknown. In the morning, I woke up early talked to some locals and decided that I'd go for another hike today. This time to a waterfall (Jogini Falls). I thought most people won't go, as they'd be sobering up from a lit night. But to my surprise, as I told the plan to the owner( who's now my good friend) and other folks over breakfast, they all wanted to come. Even the ones who arrived that morning were willing. It's amazing the tendency of us humans is to stick around each other. And equally painful how we try to deny that inherent tendency. Anyways, then came the group hike. It was harsh, long and yet so fulfilling when we actually made it to the falls. I could the fatigue disappear in everyone. We spent a good hour or two there. Someone even tried teaching me how to meditate. It's futile for me though, I cannot get my mind to stop thinking. That's how I got there, infact. And I also got what I came for, a perspective. I gained it from people and places, that I possibly could have never known. And a lot of beautiful pictures, of course. The Great Himalayas is a breathtaking creation. Staring at something that has stood as a testament against time. (wish it could talk, it'd correct a lot of history books, I'm sure). It humbles you down. It makes you complain less and cherish more. It makes you frown less and smile more. Thus, in a span of 3-4 days the frustrated me met the romantic me, who loved everything this life had to offer. I can't think of a better perspective, can you?