Spiti Valley, the place where I work, is a tough terrain. Not only is it difficult to reach, but the high altitude and harsh weather make it even more challenging to operate there. So it is hardly surprising that I often get asked why I chose Spiti as my work location. Here’s why.
In 2017, I quit after my 7-year corporate stint with Bain & Company and Kearney. That was the first year that I had travelled to Spiti. It was an unplanned trip and I barely knew anything about the place. We hadn’t planned our time well, so at nightfall we had to seek shelter in the middle of nowhere. The cold pierced our bones.
But when we reached Spiti, it all seemed worth it. The place was unlike any other place that I had ever been to. Not only was it unbelievably beautiful, there was something about the raw, endless landscape that moved me. I knew something had changed inside me, forever.
It has been five years since I first visited Spiti. With every passing year, I’ve been spending more and more time there. I hadn’t gone there with a plan to set up libraries, but it happened slowly, organically. Things kept falling in place and each visit kept morphing me. It felt like Spiti had chosen me.
So that’s my story. I work in Spiti, because Spiti chose me.