LOH #196: Scaling Mountains, Mastering Challenges.

It's another fantastic week for another community contest initiated by @saffisara. And I choose to answer this question:

1️⃣ What environment do you prefer, mountains or oceans? And why?

Mountains are fearsome, majestic, engulfing, and incredibly modest. They expect certain things from me.

In contrast to water, where I can glide and float with the appropriate abilities, mountains demand that I climb. They mean both a task and a fight when they call it a climb. In addition to being breathless and driven to succeed, you are excited. Unless you are an experienced hiker, mountaineer, or trekker, you are up against an unyielding, unharmed object.

I fell in love with the mountains when I was assigned to teach in a mountainous area. It's not just that I work there; I truly feel at peace and tranquility in the mountains.

The one feeling I want to convey to everyone is how nature makes me feel. I felt alive, approachable, and intense more than ever when I was standing atop a mountain. My heart and lungs are beating in unison as the wind caresses me and the clouds part to reveal a breathtaking sunset. I'm ecstatic at the moment. Something about the wind, the flowing water in the rivers, and the size of the wilderness makes me feel simultaneously safe and vulnerable, scared and confident. It's almost as if I can hear the whispers of the wind and know that nothing is wrong and I don't need to worry.

The naturally occurring environment of the mountains has been shown to have therapeutic properties. They offer a place to reside where the pressures and anxieties of everyday existence vanish. The pure mountain air, with less delicate particulate matter than city air, allows for deeper breathing and soothes the mind. Furthermore, the serene impact of the surrounding mountains helps reduce stress and anxiety levels.

The mountains are an excellent place to meditate. Their quiet allows you to focus on yourself and reflect. By practicing meditation in the mountains, you can rediscover inner peace, return to the present, and build a bond with the natural world and yourself. It also helps you manage stress and negative emotions more effectively.

One is instantly reminded of one's insignificance when standing and staring at distant mountains.

Mountains are distinct. They are challenging to maneuver through, enter, ascend, and conquer. They also exhibit sudden changes in color, terrain, and climate, making them unpredictable and temperamental.

It gives the impression that just getting by is more important than losing the people you consider to be your family, your job, your social circle, your money, maintaining a healthy diet, missing someone, grieving, dying, and feeling hopeless. It teaches me to focus on my breathing, which is the most crucial thing in the universe—no, even more so when it appears to be the most challenging task.

As you ascend higher, breathing gets more challenging. You grow more removed from the outside world and tangible things that only have value when viewed through a microscope. You are closer to reality as you disengage from commitments, responsibility narratives, and reality theories. Not at all—the fittest will prevail. You are surviving against all odds.

On the other hand, the mountains represent a destination. If your goal in coming to the foot of the hills is to escape the world, you are misguided. This is the revelation you never saw coming. You will not like who you are during the journey. But if you decide to continue, you'll be more robust and in a better position.

My favorite place to hang out is on the beaches. But as you can see, I've learned far more from the mountains than I ever could from the peace of the water. Beaches provide an escape from life, while mountains teach you to face life head-on and fight for it despite all obstacles.