9 Reasons to Trek
If you have been wondering why half of the world is obsessed with trekking and why suddenly you want to embark on this journey too, it is a great time to evaluate your reasons. There are genuine reasons for trekking to be one of the most sought adventures in the world. Those reasons are not aging specific, not time-bound, not unrealistic, and not fleeting momentary entertainment.
You will understand the benefits of trekking when you read along.
Connecting To Nature
Even though our existence now has become deeply embedded in the human-made world, our inner relationship with nature is undisputedly the true source of meaning and joy of our life. We don’t need any scientific researches to tell us, how being connected to nature is beneficial for us and the natural world.
Trekking serves one of many purposes and that is to bring us back to our reality and that is no matter how strongly our life is influenced by technology and advancement, we shall always remain nature's children. Walking along the trails, visiting the lap of mountains, and being close to wildlife shows what our true roots are. Being under the sky, unpredictable weather, being exposed to the primitive and raw form of natural habitat gives us a sense of belonging. There is nothing that moves us more emotionally, spiritually, and physically than our drive to find the place where we are in touch with our true self, and trekking trails are the real path that brings us close to our origin.
Forests, rivers, birds, animals we encounter along the way makes us appreciate all the things humans have achieved so far and also bring us closer to the ultimate truth of life that we are eventually going to go back to immerse into nature after we depart from the physical realm.
To understand this, one must be down on the trails, walking along the indigenous path, into the isolated parts of the mountains that hide secrets to true happiness that is only felt by one that is truly connected to nature.
Taking a break from mundane life
We wake up every day to find ourselves struggling for the same basic needs we have to meet by the end of the day. Those deadlines at work, hectic busy traffic, hours of effort to get the minor thing done, coming back home to only find ourselves tired and not feel accomplished. That’s the kind of life we all want to lead. We want challenges, we want adventure, we want a sense of accomplishment at the end of a tiring day and wake up to somewhere new to be at, something new to learn, and someone new to encounter.
Though this may not be possible every day, it's more than luxury. It's a need and trekking fulfills that need. It may not be an easy journey but a worthy one. We team up with new people, go on to new journey, let our mind anticipate what's next and at the end of the day, go to sleep thinking tomorrow would have something new, we can't wait to find out though we know our body is tired.
Do you not want to escape that traffic honking, give your TV, gadgets some break and put your assignments, projects, and meetings on hold just so you can invest your time in yourself and move closer to nature through an arduous but adventurous journey for some time being? Doesn’t it feel worthy?
You know the answer! Trek is one definite way to take a break from that monotonous way of life.
Cutting some slacks for your lungs
Ever considered how much work our lungs have to do every day purifying the air so that our body can function properly? Life may have been easy with everything humans have built, but are you sure your lungs would have felt the same if they had feelings?
Sure morning walk may be giving you some little fresh and clean air but is that even good enough?
Trekking is walk and you have an unlimited supply of clean and fresh air. Your lungs would love to breathe in that fresh air that flows through mountains, forests, and rivers. Imagine what a treat it would be to your lungs. Not just your lungs, your whole body would be taking delight in that clean and fresh air.
Your heart needs real workout sessions
Every day the gym is great, but nothing tops the thrill and enjoyment of getting your heart pumping and pounding against your chest with enjoyment while you trek and hike. It gives your heart a real taste of working out, sweat, breathe in fresh air, and keep walking for hours. You get no option to retreat cause on those trails you get no second option. You rely on your legs and you continue giving your heart workout being on that beaten path.
This strengthens your cardiovascular functioning. Your muscles all over your body become agile and you feel stronger. Not only this trekking and hiking Lower your risk of heart disease, improve your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, boost bone density, since walking is a weight-bearing exercise build strength in your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and the muscles in your hips and lower legs, strengthen your core, improve balance, help control your weight.
No wonder people living in those areas are physically strong and live longer.
Out of your comfort zone into an alien and yet exciting social adventure
When you are used to one way of life, one way of doing things, one way of thinking and behaving, you make it your comfort zone. You like it that way. But traveling opens you to different ways of life, a different perspective, different cultures, different languages, and different foods. Not all of them would make you feel great and along the journey, you would feel weird about how people lead their life but again that is what fun is all about opening yourself to all the possibilities.
Travel is about breaking out of your comfort zone and testing your boundaries. For some people, that might simply be walking on a plane to go somewhere, or bungy jumping, and likewise, for many it's trekking, hiking, peak climbing and also expeditions.
On those trails, you would have no idea what to anticipate next. You would be surrounded by nature, beautiful days with sun and you meet new people on the way now and then. You befriend strangers, they become your team and eventually your friends for life if you are lucky. Many people meet their better halves here, best friends, find themselves brothers and sisters and even sons and daughters.
Each day you feel exhausted by end of the day and yet it would be pleasant exhaustion, peaceful and calm mind and you would hear no cluttered sounds echoing do this, must do that, nothing about what society expects of you bothers you and you would have no time to worry about your day and work, deadlines you have to meet, people you have to put up with and it undoubtedly feel incredible and empowers you for your good.
Sleeping under the sky, in the cold, not getting a warm shower, good food nothing really matters, and in the absence of everything, every medium of comforts you feel you can't live without back at your home now becomes pointless. Regardless, you feel happy because you conquer the mountain and that sense of accomplishment wins over everything else.
Did I mention about social and cultural emersion you would be getting yourself in? You won't have creamy doughnuts, pizza and your favorite burritos there, you settle with simple and plain dish what local people eat and I bet that would still taste delicious because you are open to experience, you are happy to learn and experience a different way of life and this alone puts you in a great comfortable position that you still feel safe, cared for and treated friendly by strangers.
Rejuvenate your Soul
While exploring beaten tracks off roads, isolated villages, breathing in the fresh air, meeting new people, letting your eyes treat on spectacular scenes you would have no room for worries, stresses, anxiety, and no time for hate, resentments, and sadness.
You would be taking an adventure of a lifetime. You are letting yourself have some break from your every day mentally exhausting routines and be completely free. You have a new timetable and this is just exciting filling you with joy and wonders. You finally feel that your soul is in a happy place and you have achieved inner peace.
Trekking is not only a physical adventure but also a spiritual journey. You connect with your inner self and you know you came to this decision to trek because you wanted it not because someone influenced you into it. You are taking the risk, you are taking those steps and you are happy about every single step you put forward because you know what lies at the end is true happiness you have been desperately longing for that no other material possession can give you.
Feast your eyes on heavenly beauties of nature's raw yet best creations
It's all about connecting to nature. All about letting your eyes gaze on nature's creations. You would be awed at every move you make because from vast green lands to hills, rivers to lush forests, highlands to plain fields and cliffs to majestic mountains. The Himalayan range would be standing tall before your eyes, making you feel so small but yet humble and proud.
You would find your eyes blessed at the marvels of nature and you would truly feel satisfied with your life to be just standing there and taking the view in, capturing everything you can because you know, you wouldn’t want to forget it. That moment, you will feel beyond happy, tears of joys, and enormous pride in your own decision, efforts, and patience.
One trekking, your one brave decision would leave you wanting for more one after another. Your eyes will never get enough of the enthralling beauty of nature in its raw form far from human exploitation.
Your own stories you can proudly boast about
Now and then, you would be missing your trekking journey, having some flashbacks, and smiling over something trivial someone said or did but yet funny. You would find yourself being teary about moments that touched your heart and gave you an emotional nudge. You would miss friends you made and you also remember trails you walked on. You wouldn’t be able to hold yourself and then you have amazing stories to share. Not one but many.
You would want to inspire others, make them aware, give those few tips, and even share something you discovered. Your journey can always be a source of motivation for someone. Travelling and trekking make you wiser and even socially mature. You would always have something new to impart to others who may not have the same experience that you gathered.
Trust yourself, you would feel proud of yourself and you would not regret your decision to pack your bag and venture into the alien valleys between mountains, full of surprises, wonders, and strange things.
You need new shades on! The world needs you to look at it differently.
The fun part of traveling is, you are always met in the way by surprises. People, costumes, culture, tradition, language, food, and so on can always challenge your way of life and the surrounding you were brought up in.
You will be looking at the real face of poverty somewhere, and somewhere you will learn new tricks to heal your wounds faster without using ointments. Somewhere you will see woman marrying brothers of the same family and somewhere you will be saddened by girls staying at the cowshed because she had their periods. You will see people happy with gundris they sleep on and you will also find people who dance strangely with drums to make dark spirits flee.
You might be prone to judging but once you start seeing the world from a different perspective, you shall see things are not as simple or complicated as only you have come to know of. There are so many things you may not know, so many histories, stories you have never heard of and so many cultures that have existed for centuries, you have no idea and to know anything new would make you understand, amid all the unique things, we all humans are same. We all want the same thing: to be happy, be safe, have friends, do what we want, and enjoy life.
You will learn acceptance and you will feel accepted too. Trekking to mountains and seeing a way of life with your own life would make you wonder how congested our perception of the world sometimes can be. It however still depends on how you choose to see it at the end.