In February 2012, I went under the brutal onslaught of a tattoo gun. With a convinced and calm mind, I knew what I was getting into. I had a clear idea about the tattoo design which I got customised from Max, a skilled Tattoo artist in Delhi.
“Not all those who get inked are lost”, I kept reminding myself as Max toyed with his tattoo machine gun as a skilled surgeon. After a rapid flurry of ink injected to my skin, I felt resonated. A fantasy like coming together of two of the most synonymous symbols sacred to me. The Queen of Himalayas, Nanda Devi and White tree of Gondor from J.R.R Tolkien Middle-earth was getting embedded to my DNA.
There was no way I could see the progress. I could sense a completion. The pain was non-consequential.
After a few hours, it was done. The Righteous Devi was permanently inked behind my back. Max took a picture and showed it to me. It appeared just as I envisioned. The Tatoo looked perfect. It was not just a design but a symbolic submersion of my belief system and love for the mountains.
Getting a meaningful Tatoo made me bolder. After a few months, I quit my comfortable Corporate Job and started living a Himalayan Dream.
After working for three years with a major Trekking Startup Company, I moved on to pursue freelance assignments and an individual venture. I found myself in an uncommon ground of doing everything myself. Just like a small self-funded startup, I was pondering how the logo of my Company should look like.
Then my thoughts returned to the Tatoo design. I did a careful introspection. My Tatoo concept was still relevant. I found myself sitting at a drawing board constructing how the Logo should appear.Integrating my business philosophy with my Tatoo came as a natural rite of passage. It defines my life pursuits. Whenever in doubt, I fall back to the tender assurance that my core belief system is watching my back. There is nothing to fear. Carpe Diem!
WANDER THE HIMALAYAS 