Two for Two in Himachal..

Work from Home, Fast Internet, great balcony views, budget stays, memorable scooty rides, and delicious food.

Most of us have visited mountains on our holidays, but have you ever experienced working from mountains? If not! Then plan it before the office bell rings. We earn to spend on creating memories. “Workation” brings these two together. Earn while creating memories.

This is the story of a miss-planner [Me] and a carefree boy [Abhilash] who decided to experience Workation from the Himalayas.

Mission #Enter Manali: It was a pleasant evening, and I was impatiently googling about Manali weekend getaways while waiting for our bus. Suddenly, Abhilash turned up with his usual disturbing smirk. His laugh has historically been a sign of danger. Unsurprisingly, he informed me that the government has imposed a prerequisite to enter HP, i.e. a negative-RTPCR report or RAT. It was almost impossible to get these reports on such short notice. While I was cursing myself for not checking the state entry guidelines, Abhilash had a nice time teasing the Miss-notsogood-planner. Thanks to my carefree partner, we blindly trusted the conductor’s staggering words and boarded the bus with a little positive hope of not returning Delhi from midway. Obviously, we won't be stopped on the Himachal border at midnight said yawning Mr. sleepyhead. But I had a tough night believing an insouciant co-passenger.

Day 1, 6:00 AM in Mandi: I woke with the sound of the conductor announcing “Bus will stop here for half-an-hour”. Who likes to wake up at 6 AM, but this time I was eager and scared at the same time!! My mind: Time to face it, you are going back, Meghna. I was praying like a greedy cat and this was the famous “one last time help krdo bhagwan” kind of prayer.

WELL WELL WELL! check out these beautiful window views of Mandi, exclaimed Abhilash. We are in Mandi!!! A girl from Rajasthan [Me] was spellbound by the green cover laid out and was bemused at the same time about the fact that nobody actually asked for the reports.

After a quick tea break, we resumed. We were moving in circles, accompanied by untamed Beas. Witnessed several waterfalls and heard innumerable “Wows” on the way. We reached our destination at 3 PM, tired but full of life.

Day 2, 6:00 AM in Manali:

It was a dark, looonnnggg night that kept us away from the bright morning. The night owl was eager to meet an early bird. We woke up early and attended one of the best mornings in the school of nature. Singing birds under a cloudy sky turned crows into cuckoos, and we streamed our radio to sync with heavenly frequencies.

For most of us, the morning starts with a cup of tea but there is something more when you are in mountains. Every night is an artist, the sky is a canvas, and you get to see fresh paintings each morning. We made balcony our workstation that day, the next day and next to next.. days.. :D

Our first week looked like: Working on laptops, searching apples, drinking fresh milk, playing with dogs, working out on hills, and a sound deep sleep. I think it sums up like a dreamy week for a person from a concretized corporate world. Isn’t it?

Day 7, 10 AM in Sissu:

Weekends are special. This one was extraordinarily special as this time we preferred peaceful valleys to thrilling TV Series. Sissu offers a divine landscape situated 40 kms from Manali. First stop after Our PRIDE Atal Tunnel. The landspace dramatically changed after crossing tunnel. This is the perfect place for a duo. One, the worshiper of nature and other an avid admirer of solitude.

Second week was spent on small treks to nearby places. One can explore these 1–2 days of treks easily: Lamadugh, Bhrigu lake, Hamta Pass and many unnamed places in Dhungri village. We avoided crowded places like Jogini waterfall, Solang Valley or Mall road.

Day 13, 4:30 AM Manali Bus Stand:

What would you expect from people who woke up at 3 AM to catch the bus? Yes, random blabbering, but I assure there was a spark too in those sleepy eyes. We walked 3 kms on those dark roads to witness bright mornings of Lahaul. It is suggested to pre-book the tickets as you would not be much excited to travel standing at 4:30 AM.

The journey to Spiti was adventurous and full of waterfalls. There is no mobile network on the way, giving enough time to connect with yourself. The only traffic jams were by Sheeps. This long bumpy ride was comparable to camel ride in the mountains. There are several important viewpoints on the way: Kokhsar, Chatru, Batal, Kunzum pass and Losar.

We saw a sudden transformation of Green shrubs to Brown rocks, white sky to sky blue and fast flowing water to sparkling stable water. Thanks to unmetalled roads, we covered 196 kms in 10 hours.

Day 14, 2 PM in Spiti:

Spiti, at an elevation of 5492 m, is hard to reach but harder to forget kind of place.

I saw the dreamland in greens, Of deep water and tiny trees, A habitat in freezing degrees, Dancing barefoot in a cold breeze, bowing to this beauty sitting on my knees.

I saw the sky turning hue, and twinkling stars I drew. A night that brings dew, Your presence dignifying this view, A bit of me and a lot of you.

We spent valuable time in the world where we were far from the virtual world but closer to life- Admirer of technology but lover of nature.

Fast forward to..

The Last Day:

There were several unique experiences which can not be explained in writing. I strongly recommend traveling and create your own experiences. This trip helped us expand our horizon, trained us to live with uncertainty, gave us direction and a meaning to life.

We spent a month packed with more of such unbelievable views, unexplainable feelings, and untold tales while working from Himachal.

#Tips: 10 Essentials to carry while working from Himachal:

1. Reusable coffee mugs and bottles.
2. Power bank and Wi-Fi dongles (You might face fluctuating power cuts.)
3. Windcheater jackets / Raincoats (It might rain anytime in mountains. Windcheater comes in handy during windy scooty rides)
4. Sport Shoes (MUST! Even if you are not into trekking).
5. Sunglasses
6. KNIFE and a pair of Scissors (Yes! You will understand its importance during the trip. )
7. First Aid Kit (Mosquito repellent is a must.)
8. Toiletries (Don't forget to keep the toilet roll. It comes in handy for a lot of purposes.)
9. Electronics (MUST! I regret not carrying a spare USB cable and Pendrive with preloaded songs. Don't forget to keep multi-point extension.)
10. Plastic Bags/ Plastic zip-lock bags.

I strongly recommend booking your stay beforehand as most of the properties are getting booked for long stays, and you might face issues in finding one. Trust me, you would not want to compromise with your balcony views while working from the mountain.