My work requires me to travel, and I am often asked which is your favorite city? My answer has remained unchanged over the years and that is, I am happiest in the lap of mother nature. I am an outdoors enthusiast and every opportunity I get, is grabbed with both hands. Setting up my tent under the star lit sky with my solitude for company or walking through the forests looking through the canopy, spotting a native animal is my way of dealing with stress and anxiety so rampant in our lives.

I clearly remember my first sojourn. It was special, as for the very first time I was allowed an overnight trip, not accompanied by my parents but in the company of two cousins barely a few years older. It would be an absolute understatement to say we were excited! We were geared to convert the next 72 hours into fun, fun and more fun.

Besides the regular camping paraphernalia that we carried my mother insisted on double checking if we had packed a flashlight with extra batteries. I clearly remember her making me unpack my neatly packed carryover only to see that the flashlight was in. She kept quoting LOUIS PASTEUR “Chance favors the prepared mind.” I could not agree with my mother or Louis Pasteur more, considering the number of times all of us reached out for the flashlight in the course of the night. I made a mental note of giving her a tight hug on reaching back.

It has been a while that I undertook that trip, but camping, trekking, rock climbing are dominant activities for me as getaway ideas and form an integral part of my summer break plans. The flashlight a permanent fixture in my camping bag.

Preparedness is the ultimate confidence builder. Experience has taught me that no trip is ever perfect. But preparedness goes a long way in making the trip near perfect. Over the years I have progressed from a simple flashlight to this very sturdy lantern with radio and inbuilt flashlight. I am alone but still not alone. I have music, I am connected to the world. I enjoy the darkness but with the confidence of instant light. I carry it with me easily always Every trek has been enjoyable, every camp a rich learning experience. I have created a lifetime of memories.