This is a story as old as the modern workplace. A small-town boy moves to the big city to work for a large subcontractor in pursuit of financial security and the promise of “the good life,” but he realizes how disconnected he is from his workplace. Roots, yourself and nature.
Meet Harshit Kampal
Harshit Kampal grew up in Haldwani, the largest city in Kumaon, Uttarakhand. Although her childhood home was downtown, she naturally wanted to live closer to the mountains surrounding her hometown. “In the evenings after school, when the children would gather to play cricket in the playground, I would ride my bike up the hills, exploring new roads every other day,” Campal confesses. His fondest childhood memories are of days spent at his maternal grandparents' home in Ranikhet, surrounded by the bounty of nature, climbing mountains and swimming in the wide river. “I was counting down the days until the long weekend and school holidays. I'll make any excuse to land in Ranikhet.”
Little Harshit never imagined that the life he grew up living and loving would be replaced by sitting within four walls, working 10-hour days, excessive wealth, and a generally unhealthy lifestyle. It would have been. Even though his life threw such curveballs at him, Campal fought hard not to give in to the little boy inside him. He continued to dream of one day being free from capitalist pursuits, so much so that his colleagues encouraged him to see the film. Into the Wilda film based on Christopher McCandless' real-life travels and explorations (both inside and outside) that ultimately led him to live deep in the Alaskan wilderness.
Watching the film gave Campal a sense of belonging. “For years I had this idea in my head, always feeling like a misunderstood black sheep in society. I feel less alone in the world knowing that there are people who have done and are still doing it.”
Harshit Kampal always dreamed of living outside his car in a secluded, natural, and free place. The life he envisioned for himself was minimalist, essentialist, and most importantly, simple. He wanted to make time for himself to cook, do his laundry, take long walks and breathe fresh air. He wanted the luxury of time, but the more time he spent working in the city, the further away he felt from his dreams.
unlikely companions
By the time he finally quit his job and started actively pursuing his dreams, he was deeply inspired by McCandless and emotionally burnt out. Over the course of two months, he bought a second-hand Force Gurkha and enough wood to slowly shape the bed and cabinets that would go inside the car. He then set off for the Himalayas with his only companion, his dog Jon Snow.
It's been 10 months since Harshit Kampal and Jon Snow have been living without a permanent home. They drove more than 10,000 kilometers, reaching the farthest reaches of India's Himalayas, often visiting places rarely visited by tourists or other humans. From the remote Zanskar Valley in Ladakh to the Vyas and Tons valleys in Uttarakhand, the pair witness rare wildlife sightings, camp in sub-zero temperatures, and the Uttarakhand Governor takes a convoy to meet them. He has had some incredibly spontaneous and unforgettable adventures, including trying to stop him. “He found me parked near Adi Kailash, minding my own business and playing the ukulele. Suddenly, a large group of well-dressed men in uniforms , they were interested in what I was doing with a thick beard, a fedora, and a piercing in my septum. The contrast was so humorous and interesting!”
van life challenges
Still, while van life in Campal may seem fanciful on paper, it's a direct byproduct of pure hard work, dedication, and an otherwise unglamorous lifestyle. Their drinking water is usually supplied by a river that is up to a kilometer away from the camp. Kampal collects water twice a day, transporting the 30kg container from the river on wheels to his modest home in Doi. Most sunny days are spent lounging on the grass, watching cloud formations, or floating down the river to do laundry, but days without sun are spent relaxing in the cool, cool river water nearby. The fingers on the inside are enough to freeze laundry utensils. When it rains, all activities, including cooking, are restricted to her 4-by-6-foot space in the vehicle. To answer nature's call, Campal uses a self-contained composting toilet installed in a “toilet tent” pitched just outside his car, which must be emptied every other day. .
“These are all things that seem like problems to most people. But for me they are just living a slow life in nature. It means “a day's work”. Rather than driving thousands of miles every week and visiting new places every few days, stay local, connect with locals, cook and clean, and truly make nature your home. I feel real joy in it. ”
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