In Search Of A New Beginning

Parismita Goswami

Life becomes complicated once you reach a certain age. And with covid-19, it became harder, especially for those who like to travel.

I spent my two years in Pondicherry doing my master’s, and each day felt like a vacation. With the sea and friends who equally loved sunset on the beach.

Well, with the advent of 2020, things started changing. The pandemic changed the entire outlook of life. So, after things came into control for a bit, I decided to take a break!

Not to the sea but mountains. Nature calls, I suppose. And, Sikkim it was.

I have been to the state before, and I know the air. Sikkim lies at the border of the country I admire the most, Tibet. My intention was not regular but with a motive. Sikkim is a dear country for Buddhists. And I am trying to follow up the path.

One day, I randomly picked a movie from Netflix featuring Brad Pitt, who happens to be my favorite actor to watch. ‘Seven Years In Tibet’ became a life-changing movie for me. It is a book about a man who spent his most beautiful years in the shelter of Tibetans and the Dalai Lama before China infiltrated into the holy land.

Later, I started googling more about their culture, life, religion, so on and forth. Next thing, I published my first article on a diplomatic e-magazine, titled, “Reading Tibet’s Identity Crisis.”

Gradually, my interest to know more about Buddhists started filling my coffee cup every evening. I started with the book “Tibetan Book Of Great Liberation”, “The Art of Happiness,” and currently, I am reading “ The Art of Dying and Living in Peace”.

And, random youtube video of spiritual leader and the Nobel Peace Prizeman, the great Dalai Lama.

The change within myself was dubious among the chaos of the pandemic. I discovered Sikkim is considered to be one of the most sacred lands of the Himalayas by Buddhists.

No doubt, traveling to the Himalayas is on everyone’s list, and by means, every traveler by heart has concealed to it.

And, certainly, I booked my tickets along with my friends cum cousins. I knew no one else could be a better companion to me than them.

My intention was not just to step into the places but breathe in the mountains and drink the freshwater from the Himalayas. Although we had only a few days in our hands, we managed to travel North and East Sikkim with the spirit of love and wonder.

I am sure you will find it anywhere in detail about Sikkim’s east, west, north, and south. The 21st century can give us access to every minute information in-hand, you know what I mean.

Well, my intention behind writing this article is because nobody listens. But, I know there are still readers who love to spend their Saturday evenings with a glass of wine, around in their cozy corner, and please their eyes with blogs/articles or the smell of a new book. This is surely for those.

So while traveling on those difficult roads up to the top, they call the zero point bordering Tibet. I discovered fresh mountains and breeze that smelled wonders. The lush green valleys and the sound of the streams were something my ears had been craving for a long. Along with the Tibetan prayer flag, alongside the mountainous terrain were cherry on the top. Peace conquered our souls like never before.

Growing up in a city with dust and the sounds of the unraveling horns shrank my soul. Therefore, like a pseudo-Buddhist, I packed my bags to find nirvana and enlightenment for a little while. Approaching the heights, reliving the days of pure joy, sounds of laughter, and scenic beauty, we enjoyed the tunes of ecstasy.

The walls of curvy roads were filled with words such as, “Don’t be a game, in the land of the lama,” “Don’t be a random, in the roads of wisdom”, how can it not help already a person who was already frustrated with life and was searching for meaning in the roads of lama and wisdom.

Every road has a story to tell, and every mountain, lake, and sea does too. Like humans, they beat their hearts to earth. I tell you, mother nature is a mystery

. I took a paper during my master’s, “Women and Environment,” and that is how I came one step closer to nature.

While reaching the top, I shared my spilled secrets and sins to the mountain. I read it somewhere, preaching nature. I felt the hills hugging me back. Like they too were longing for new hope, love, peace, and prosperity.

At some point, I decided to stay there forever, breathing freshness and surrounding myself with minimalistic things. The sweet water from the stream was as holy as a newborn child.

Take the road. Every journey has something new for new.

Life is a combination of black and white/dark and light. Sometimes we are forced to believe, this is the end of it, rather not a new beginning of something incredibly beautiful.

Without darkness there is no light, without experiencing the worst, there are no such things as crediting beautiful moments. But, to experience you must explore and believe it. You must open your arms to nature that calls out for embracing the good.
And, let go off the things that pulls you back.

Good and bad, happy and sad, positive and negative, etc are contradictions that explain why everything is nothing but a conspiracy to make us understand the essence of living life the fullest.

The visuals of Sikkim still come to my dream, like the fondness of the man you want to be with. Besides, I was mesmerized by the love of mother nature. Those smiling red cheeks and warm clothes wrapped around the Sikkimese people, how can one not adore such captivating charmers.

On the last day of the tour, when I was packing my bags, I didn’t pack just my clothes or the souvenirs but the memories and intimacy of the people and a place I will cherish my entire life.

It’s certainly true; we don’t travel to escape life but, life not to escape us.

Signing off fresh!

[Parismita Goswami is a content writer at Vantage Circle, she is a poet and writer, also fond of movies, music and travelling.]

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