1 July 2025
What makes someone leave behind the buzz of a big city—the cafés, career ladders, and convenience—for a quiet life in the hills?
Today, they wake up to birdsong, walk through pine forests, and sleep under starlit skies in the tiny village of Satoli in Uttarakhand. But how did they get here? And what can their journey teach us?
Vasanthi, a textile designer, grew up loving nature but never imagined living in the mountains. Anurag, a former banker, had traveled to 85 countries but always wondered—what if home was in the hills?
Fate brought them together on a train, where a conversation sparked a shared dream.
No traffic, no pollution—just crisp mountain air and endless views. But life here isn’t always picture-perfect. Power cuts last days, monkeys raid their garden, and the nearest hospital is 40 km away.
Yet, they’ve learned to adapt—solar chargers, community support, and a deep trust in nature’s rhythm.
Because mountain life isn’t just about beauty; it’s about resilience. "City impatience doesn’t work here," Vasanthi laughs. Amazon parcels take a month. Repairs happen on "mountain time." But in slowing down, they’ve found something rare—presence. .
Anurag reads, collects stamps. Vasanthi paints, learns Bharatanatyam online. Their biggest lesson? Surrender. Some things—like snowstorms and wild deer—can’t be controlled. And that’s okay.
Anurag reads, collects stamps. Vasanthi paints, learns Bharatanatyam online. Their biggest lesson? Surrender. Some things—like snowstorms and wild deer—can’t be controlled. And that’s okay.
When landslides block roads, neighbors share cars. When pipes freeze, they lend heaters. "In cities, we barely knew our neighbors," Anurag says.
Here, Holi is celebrated together, spare keys are exchanged freely, and WhatsApp groups list emergency contacts. Mountain living rewires you—it’s less "me" and more "we."
They compost, reuse every drop of water, and grow what they can. "The land teaches you limits," Vasanthi says. Rainwater is precious.
Plastic cups become planters. Their mantra? Live lightly. Because in the mountains, every choice echoes—in the soil, the streams, and the future.
"Never," they say in unison. The cities feel alien now—too loud, too rushed. Here, they’ve found purpose—Vasanthi revives crafts through Peoli, Anurag consults for global startups from his balcony. Their advice? Don’t just visit the mountains. Listen to them.
Could you trade hustle for harmony? Their story isn’t about dropping out—it’s about choosing in. Maybe your mountains are different. A village? A farm? A quieter city corner. The lesson? Wherever you go, go with intention.