Of late, things were not going as expected in life and that is when I decided to take a break and plan a trip. I couldn’t be away from work for long, so I decided to go to a nearby destination – Jim Corbett in Uttarakhand. It was an attempt to go closer to nature and find happiness – And I think I’ve succeeded to an extent. I am sure many of you are also looking for an affordable getaway that can provide you with peace to unwind and explore. I decided to take a cab from Delhi as I wanted to enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way. It took me five hours to reach the destination – A beautiful yet calm and peaceful resort called The River View Retreat. The resort has cottages and you have the option to either book it entirely or take a room. The calmness of the place gave me space to sit peacefully and reflect upon life. Sitting by the deck with the Kosi River flowing just next to you feels like bliss.
Uttarakhand is beautiful and we all know that but when you live with locals, that is when you understand the essence of nature. Seeing me sitting all by myself for hours, the corporate Chef decided to join and I found myself discussing food with him in no time. Let me admit, if there’s anything that can give me instant happiness then it’s food. While talking about how Kumaoni food helps in staying fit, the Chef invited me for lunch the next day to relish Kumaoni thali.
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse and I am glad that I didn’t. The vegetarian thali was something I can go back to The Riverview Retreat for.
It was a three-day trip and I didn’t want to just sit at the resort, so I decided to go for a Safari. Usually, you need to make a booking 45 days in advance but the resort helped me with it. There are four zones – Dhikala, Bijrani, Zhirna, and Lohachaur to explore wildlife. However, during the rains, the authorities closed the major two gates. That’s why I was not able to spot any Tigers but was lucky enough to spot a herd of wild elephants and many deers. This is probably what I learned during my stay – Be appreciative of what you have and it feels good to do that.
I happened to meet a group of friends during my stay and things changed for the better. I realised that sometimes all you need in life is good company. We spoke about our lives, work, and how keeping fit is a necessity in today’s time and that’s when one of them spoke about his fitness trainer in no time I asked for the trainer’s number. Let me tell you, I have started working out (for the first time ever in my life) and have been focusing on my health ever since I am back from the trip.
In life, we often forget to spend time with ourselves and that impacts our mental health. This trip has helped me to explore the best version of myself and I feel every one of us needs this break. We need to Stop.Pause.Unwind.Explore in life.