An unexpected mountain escape reveals simplicity, community, and transformative life beyond modern distractions and comforts

A chance encounter on the Internet led me to LOST IN WOODS homestay. Snuggled between Naggar and Manali, this was 5kms above Jagatsukh. I arrived there with two of my friends, a brother-sister duo from Goa. We were supposed to be there for a day. Little did they know that they will be abandoned soon after!

It was full moon on the day we arrived. The moonlight undoubtedly left me mesmerized and altered my brain chemistry. Not only was it the moment that I subconsciously altered all my travel plans but also made up my mind to live with the locals.

Dheeraj was definitely a huge part of the deciding factor. He was from Delhi. He had left his lucrative Event Management company to pursue a life in the mountains. Dheeraj’s enthusiasm to live a simple life was inspiring to say the least. He would wake up and read. Read all day. First in the balcony in the morning sun, then under the apple tree, then at the meadows, and then still some more in his room again. Between all the reading, he found time to help in the family’s apple and apricot farms, teach (for free) the whole lot of the village kids and also attend to “guest” requests. Worth mentioning are his boundaries. No plastic rule was strict for homestay guests.

The first few days he complied to all of my whims and fancies. Soon after he realised I wasn’t leaving any time soon and we both returned to our routines. The friendship blossomed.