Article #87 : Never Give Up

How many of you experienced difficult situations in life? Did you ever try to give up or move on? If you choose the former option, then this article is for you as it may change your perspective. On the other hand, if you choose the latter option, then this article is for you as you can correlate with your experience.

Today, I am going to talk about my recent trip to Ladakh. 

It was September 2024, my second solo visit to Ladakh, this time via air. While I was waiting eagerly to see the mountains from the flight, the AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness) was also waiting for me to deboard the flight. Do remember this AMS as it's the villain of my story today. 

It was a bright sunny day, the slight touch of the cold winds reminded me of my first experience with Himalayas in Kashmir. The mesmerizing mountains, the sky-blue skies, the crispy clouds and the scintillating sunshine simply made my day. 

But then, the twist in the tale happened that evening. I was already having mild cold and cough before I landed in Ladakh. It simply went to the next level towards the evening. Along with it, I started experiencing headache and difficulty in sleeping, must be due to the Acute Mountain Sickness or High Altitude Sickness.

A part of me came out and started saying,

"Giridhar, It's just Day 1 and this is your condition. Don't you think, you need to give up and return to your place or you really think you need to move on with this journey?"

"Oh please. Stop bothering me. Just look at the itinerary, there are so many places waiting for me to explore. How can I simply give up after coming this far?"

"Your wish. Your health is at stake"

"That's ok, I have Zandu Balm and lip Balm, Vicks and Diamox with me "

After such internal conversations, I decided to move on, no matter what was written in my destiny. That's it, I started applying Zandu Balm to my head, Vicks to my nose, lip balm to my lips and again Vicks to my throat. I kept waking up multiple times throughout the night due to cold and cough. And then the next day arrived.

The cough, cold and headache loved me and decided not to leave me. On the other hand, I decided to get rid of them and move on. My journey to Nubra Valley started. At the same time, my conversation with the villain, AMS started,

"Good morning Giridhar, How's the Josh?"

"Superb. Huchi!"

"Oh really? I think you are expecting more from me"

"What are you going to do now?"

"As you are omitting the previous symptoms, I am giving you the vomiting sensation today"

It became more tough for me. The ultimate question of giving up or moving on started running in my mind again. But for the second time, I firmly decided to move on. 

As soon as I reached Sumur Village in Nubra Valley where I planned to stay that night, I informed the homestay owners as I know them since my first visit. They immediately arranged hot mint water for me and guess what, within next 3 hours, I felt absolutely fine. I expressed my gratitude towards them for keeping me well.

The next day, I bid adieu to the AMS and visited some amazing places like Yarab Tso Lake that involves mountain trekking, Siachen - World's highest battlefield, and Panamik Village that is known for its Hot springs. I started understanding the positive side of not giving up. 

But then the AMS conspired against me with the cold wave at Pangong Lake where I stayed on the consecutive day in a cottage. It was terribly cold at Pangong Lake. The cold wave coming from the ground, closed windows and from every corner didn't allow me to stand or sit. 

But it stood infront of me and started saying, 

"Giridhar, How's the Josh?"

"Simply Superb"

"I am going to host you this way till your trip ends. That's why I would suggest, just give up"

"I am bold, not that old. I can mold or fold you, Mr.Cold"

Replying this to the cold wave, I requested for an extra blanket and wrapped myself under two blankets to get rid of the cold wave.

Somehow, the night passed by and I moved on successfully to visit places like Hanle Observatory that has 10th highest optical telescope in the world, Umling La which is world's highest motorable pass and Tso Moriri, the largest high altitude Lake in India. 

I could successfully return home from the land of high passes with flying colours only because I choose not to give up anywhere. It's not only in the journey to a place, but also in our journey of life, at times, we have to choose between two options, either give up or move on. Based on my experience, I would say, Keep moving forward because giving up means risking the incredible opportunities that are just around the corner. As the famous Hollywood actor Richard says, "Never give up. You only get one life. Go for it," what do you say?