This is me

The dull colours of the patchwork fields penetrated through the fog. Like a brown-green worn-out carpet it stretched below me. Mountains greeted the lonely clouds roaming the new summer sky. A sweet breeze blew over my face, serenity sunk into my aching muscles. Dawn broke and sprayed yellow and orange colours over the valley, over the escarpment, over the abandoned white mansion. Legs dangling over the hundred-foot fall, I inhaled the essence of the Nilgiri grove on the right. Birds began their sermons and blessed my ears. Satisfied with the spectacular view of Panchgani’s lone valley, I jogged back up the hill onto a trail, then onto a cement road. The moment I opened the door of the wooden cabin, the smell of Meena amma’s fresh omelettes greeted me. 

That is when I realised how much I love travelling. Gipsy-ing from one town to another, exploring different cultures and people; each a glimpse and gone forever. We never stay at hotels, we only rent the home-stays and bungalows. It almost feels like home, the hosts accept us as a part of their family.  Like Meena amma’s family did this season, they accepted us into their huge wooden bungalow. Hidden from the city by a maze of uphill trails and Nilgiri groves, it stands on the top of the hill. 

Satisfied with my jog, I moved on to Pilates. I can’t live a day without exercising. As I worked out along with the YouTuber, I realised the drawbacks of this method. I wasted quite a lot of time selecting a workout because I got distracted by the plethora of options. I also ended up watching a video of AsapScience before the workout! And the video kept buffering and was interrupted by ads. That’s when I realised, there must be many like me. Many who want to inculcate workouts into their busy schedule at home or in the middle of nowhere, with no gym equipment. Quick easy workouts for busy people. But YouTube is very distracting. That’s when an idea struck me. A workout app, which uses YouTube videos for demonstrating workouts, without having to open the YouTube app. 

That summer after we returned from Panchgani, I went to my Uncle’s office and worked every summer day to develop this app. As I designed the wireframes of the App, I came up with more features. According to your workout preference that day, like yoga or cardio or pilates or core, you would get three workout videos. It tracked your progress and gave you gender-based workouts too. The app generated videos for you according to your preference, this solved distraction. 

Later I decided to launch it. I realised if I wanted to do so, I would have to build a customer base first. So I created a Facebook and Instagram page for the app. I created a promotion video which included my friends and family. It marketed my app by targeting the ‘why’ question. I recorded people saying they want to get fitter that summer, and in the end it said download the app, ‘Fitness Bolt’. I had hundred followers. Till the app launched I kept posting fitness facts to keep my customers interested. Through this I understood digital marketing. And I developed a keen liking for it. The combination of design, coding and marketing was an exhilarating experience. I realised I want to pursue something under these fields.

Over that summer I found myself. Between the pages of Classics, between the rustle of  Nilgiri leaves, between the combinations of code and between the laughter, I found myself. This was me. Enthusiastic about everything and even more curious about everything. Spontaneous, ready to solve a problem or lead a group. Upset by global warming. Overjoyed by treks into the unknown. Adventure and excitement pulsing through my veins. This is me.