The Day I Faced My Biggest Fear
Let me tell you how it helped me…
I am always afraid of traveling by water. No water doesn’t scare me, but a lot of water does.
I always get Final Destination vibes while crossing a bridge.
However, after fighting my inner naysayer-self, I gathered the courage and embarked on the boat ride to Sundarbans with my friends.
I could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air and also my racing heartbeat because of fear or excitement, I don’t know. Maybe both.
We were greeted by the bright sun shining through the thick clouds, casting a warm glow on the surrounding landscape and spreading rays of hope on an overcast gloomy day.
The wind rustles through my hair, carrying the scent of saltwater and mangroves.
The boat glides along the calm waters, and the lush greenery surrounds us on all sides.
We were talking with the boat rider and asked him “what if we all come on one side of the boat then would it cause the boat to flip over?”
Do you know what he said in response? “So be it! I know swimming”. Said the old Man.
A horrible ‘captain’, right?!
After some time as we set sail, the wind started howling, the bright sun got invaded by the dark clouds, the sound of a distant thunderbolt echoed through the air, and followed by the pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the deck of the boat.
Despite the ominous weather, I couldn’t help but feel mesmerized by lush green forests and their surrounding beauty.
Fortunately, things didn’t get worse, and the sun shone again after a while.
The river is surrounded by occasional islands.
I saw a variety of wildlife along the banks like monkeys swinging from tree to tree, a lone deer grazing on the lush grass, colorful birds, alligators sunbathing on the riverbank, and of course not a single snake, fortunately.
We were staying in a bungalow for the night, beside the river surrounded by the dense foliage of the forest.
Suddenly at midnight, we all woke up sweating and panting from a deafening and powerful roar that echoed throughout the jungle. It was a tiger, the famous Royal Bengal Tiger!
Our peaceful sleep had been disturbed by that majestic predator, and we were left to ponder on the dangers that were waiting outside our bungalow.
Well, that part didn’t happen though. Hehe sorry.
We stayed there for 2 days. We couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment that we didn’t get to see the world-famous Royal Bengal Tiger roaming free in the wilderness. And it was compensated by a caged one in the zoo.
But it’s alright. Maybe next time? I just feel grateful for this experience.
I am so glad I took the leap of faith.
It’s not like my fear of traveling by water is now gone. But it gave me so much courage that I won’t mind going again.
I learned that fear may be a powerful force, but I can overcome it by facing it head-on. That’s a success I will say.
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