1. 'Julley' is your favourite word!

Everytime you pass by a stranger, you will find yourself greeting them, ‘Julley’! You sometimes wish you could do the same in your city. 

2. The Great Himalayas makes you feel tinier than an ant

When you are at the foot of a mountain, you suddenly realise that you are just a tiny speck of dust when compared to God’s majestic creations.

3. You’ll be extremely aware of your breathing

Being at a high altitude, there will be times when you will make a conscious effort to breathe. Perhaps, it will be the first time in your life where you will be completely aware of your breathing pattern.

4. When you reach Khardung La, you will feel like you have conquered the world

Reaching the top of the world’s highest motorable road will make you feel like you have got a medal. Or atleast deserve one. The real reward is the view from the top. Mesmerising. 

5. The number of stars and the Milky Way in the sky make you feel magical

You will see less of the sky and more of stars. The view is unrealistic, and that’s when you realise ‘somewhere out there, there is magic’.

6. The silence will make you retrospect various aspects of your life you never had the time to think about

Yes, you will leave Ladakh as a different person. The humility, vastness of space and barren mountains will teach you a thing or two about life.

7. You realise that the gur gur chai tastes more like soup than tea

The famous gur gur chai tastes nothing like tea, but like soup. This chai guarantees you warmth in the cold mountain weather.

8. You never knew that you could pee in an open toilet surrounded by snow

Those icy mountain passes will fill up your bladder, and you will have no choice but to sit in an open toilet (without doors) surrounded by ice. 

9. You realise your unhealthy lifestyle when you are out of breath after walking for less than a kilometer

You will be panting, after you will cover a short distance by foot. You will want to blame it on the high altitude and the fact that there is less oxygen supply. But admit it, your lifestyle in the city sucked!

10. The army camps make you realize the climatic conditions that they have to survive in, to keep the nation safe

You will respect the soldiers fighting for the nation in these harsh conditions, even more than before. Living in these torrid conditions in camps, is not as easy as it looks.

11. And then sometimes you just wonder, how something so barren and harsh can be so beautiful!

The water is icy cold, sparkling blue; and the golden moutains so barren that not a leaf grows. The air so sparse, you can barely breathe. You'll be mesmerized how something so harsh can be so beautiful. 

If you've not been to Ladakh yet, it's time you packed your bag and got on with it. Before your knees get too knobbly and lungs too weak, this is one place you want to tick off your bucket list.

Share it with your friends, and plan a trip rightaway.