Have you ever had a specific turning point in life? For me, it happened in March 2021.
Growing up, I was a curious child, like every other child. However, somewhere along the way, I lost myself and got stuck behind the world of screens. I was disconnected from the world around me, from nature, from people, and from myself. I didn’t even realise the magnitude of my isolation at that time.
However, the outbreak of the COVID pandemic left me, a second-year degree student, with too much time on my hands, eventually leading me on a curious exploration of my past. I used to play a lot in the dirt, in the backyard, or swim with my friends in the river near my house, and I really wanted to feel that close to earth, nature, and people again. I also remembered how much I used to enjoy drawing and painting as a child, and I wanted to feel that joy again. With some motivation from my cousin Dumbo (Teena), I began painting again and felt a little bit lighter.
Around that time, I saw the movie ‘Into the Wild’, which is based on the real-life story of Christopher McCandless, a top student who rejects modern society, materialistic values, and his family to live in the Alaskan wilderness. It struck a deep chord in me: a longing to be alone in the sublime wilderness, to be at nature’s mercy, to live a simple life.
Holding on to that longing, on March 13th 2021, I had a spontaneous camping trip to Vagamon with a few close friends. The timing couldn’t be better, as I believe everyone was tired of the isolation caused by the pandemic and craved some connection.
We rented a couple of tents and set up camp on a random hill. As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, we danced to music around the campfire, and I vividly remember feeling ecstatic with an unfamiliar joy and a sense of closeness with nature. Pouring some of the alcohol we brought earlier into the campfire, I declared that I don’t need it to heighten my senses tonight.
Later that night, the stars began to appear one by one, then suddenly all together, treating me to the best night sky I had ever seen till then. I lay down on my bare back on the cool grass, gazing at the stars, feeling the warmth of the campfire on one side and a cool breeze on the other side. Suddenly, all my worries faded away. I was in awe of the sky. Surrounded by friends. Nothing else mattered. I had found my way back.
Curious Skies 