Mountains beyond mountains

Finally got myself out of the city for the weekend with my Jewish Hawaiian cum Chinese semi-permanent roommate. We squeesed into the ladies compartment for the sweaty two-hour ride out of the smog and away from Bombay. Matheran is a hillstation due west of the city- a dusty cluster of villages and hotels catering to weekenders. No cars are allowed on the mountain, the only travel prermitted is by horse or hand-pulled rickshaw. and of course ones' good old feet.

Waking up early at the Hope Hill Hotel, after a night of incredible sleep on some of the worlds' hardest mattresses and rock-pillows, we hiked to each point of interest on the side of the mountain. Echo point, Charlotte Lake, Little Chowk... the views from each of these places was phenomenal. Greenery, blue skies, butterflies, birds, and silence. My head cleared and I realized how lucky I am to be able to escape the noise of Bombay and my life sometimes, to take a weekend away and have a breath of fresh air. I have't felt so healthy in months.

Sometimes I forget just how lucky I am to be here in the first place. It is work, and I do gripe to my friends about long hours spent in the office, and frustrations with Indian time and customs, but overall the experience is amazing, the country of India is full of beauty and the oppurtunity that I have had with my work here are countless and incredible. I am here, working with people who share the same traditions as me, who value my contributions and respect me, who will help and do anything for me. Most of the time it can hardly even be called work. What do I have to complain about?

Part of what was frustrating me (and still is on my mind) is the feeling that I am not doing enough and that on top of it I am getting burnt out in my daily routine, spreading the one of me too far in the community, rushing from Golden Age meetings to Youth dance practice to prep for classes. But there are always going to be mountains beyond mountains, no matter how high you climb sometimes. For now I need to remember the importance of taking a rest sometimes and seeing the view.