D uring o ur l e a rning journ ey in L ada k h , I re a lis e d t h a t vulne rabili t y is a n a tu ral p ar t of g ro w th. Ju st a s
I n a v ig a t e d u n fa miliar lands c a p es and e ngag e d with
l o c a l cu st o m s , e n t ering high sch o o l will re qui re me
t o st e p o u t side m y c o m fort z on e , ju st li ke this
l e a rning j o urn ey did. Emb racing t his vulne rabili t y l e d
t o m y o wn p e r sonal g ro w t h a nd resilien c e
A s I st a nd on the t h reshold of high sch o o l , I fin d
m y s e lf ref l e cting o n m y re c e n t j o urn ey t o L ad a kh ,
a pla c e th a t ch a lleng e d me b ot h p h y si c a ll y and em oti o nall y Th e t re ks and cycling w e re n ot ju st a
t e st of endu ra n c e; th ey w e re a p rofo und
expl o ra tion of m y o wn vuln e rabilities and st rength s
E ach d a y in L ad a kh b ro ug h t n e w ch a ll e nges th a t
mir ro re d the un c e r t ai n ties I n o w fa c e as I t ransition
i n t o this n ext phase of m y li fe
This l e a rning j o urn ey im p a ct e d me in s eve ral wa y s
F i r stl y, i t h e l pe d me ove rc o me th e single st o r y
I kn e w of m y c ou n t r y. I ove rc a m e this th rough our trip t o P a ngong L a ke A s s o m e one who has n ’ t
t ra ve ll e d much wi t hin India, the ove rall trip m a de m e c o me t o t e rms with t he fa ct t h a t India is m y c ou n t r y, a nd I h a ve n ’ t s e e n e nough of i t
E ach d a y p rov id e d me with a n e w ex p erien c e; pushing m e t o go t o ex t e n t s whe re I felt w e a k and ti re d. Th rough o ut the t ri p , w e w e re m et wi t h challenge s Th e se ex p e rien c es t aug h t me t h a t t h e
j o urn ey is ju st as im p or t a n t as th e d e stin a t ion .
A s I be gin high sch o o l, I c a r r y t his less o n wi t h m e
The re will b e t imes wh e n I fe el ove rwhelm e d by n e w subj e ct s o r s o ci a l dynamic s , bu t li ke the a s c e n t in
L adakh, eve r y challeng e will c o n t ribu t e t o m y
g ro w t h. I t ’s e sse n tial t o app re ci a t e e a ch st ep al o ng the wa y, ra t h e r t han f i xa ting solely o n the e nd g o al
H th t ek had t ken i t t oll. M h ad
