I lied. There’s not going to be a list of 40 things I like. 40 is too long a list. I don’t want to bore you with random everyday basic shit like I love food. No shit Susan, what else do you like? Breathing? So, I cut down the list to 20.
This is my list of 20. Enjoy:
- Homestretch: It’s the drive to your home. Regardless of where “Home” is. It could be your house, the town or house you grew up in or the city you love. The feeling of slight exhilaration and calmness when you know you’ll be home soon is just amazing. I usually get this feeling when I’m about to enter the crazy cacophonous mess of a city that I love called Bangalore. If you don’t get this feeling every time you go home, then something is very wrong, and you probably need to move till you find your happy place.
- Cold Morning Air: I love waking up early to feel that nice cold breeze on my face. Nothing more refreshing. Nothing more calming. Of course, this does not apply to where I’m living currently cos it’s cold the entire fucking day.
- Mornings Alone: I like being left alone. Preferably the entire day but especially in the mornings. If you give me my space to enjoy the cold air with some hot tea and some peace and quiet before the day begins, I will secretly love you forever.
- Tech News: I’m a junkie for tech news and my favorite thing to do is read Wired in the morning. Any other kind of news has no place in my life right now. I don’t care about which President tweeted what. Just let me read Wired and tell me more about how pixel phones can provide depth of field effect by using only one camera? One of the best things I discovered this year was Backchannel which has some of the best tech journalism I have ever come across.
- Long drives: I love long drives, especially on familiar roads. The drive from Bangalore to my estate via Madikeri ghats and the drive to Madikeri or Mangalore from my estate in Sullia are just some of my favorites. I’ve driven on these roads literally hundreds of times, and I will do so hundreds of times more, and each time it gives me immense pleasure. The sights, the sounds, the air and the feeling of nostalgia every time I’m on those roads just never fails to lighten me up.
Country roads…take me home..to the place…. I belong……..(#namethatsong) - Tender coconut water: Have you ever had tender coconut water, freshly plucked and cut open in front of you? It’s a luxury I’m ever grateful for. It’s just the best drink in the world. P.S: Lose the straw and drink it like how you’re supposed to. Directly from natures bosom.
- Long walks: To get out of your own head sometimes, you just need to get out. Long walks can be the cure to a lot of your problems, and I really think doctors should start prescribing it. I love them.
- Intense workouts: I’m a bit of a fitness freak. If I’m not training, I’m usually thinking about training. More intense the workouts the better. Pushing myself to the point where I will either puke or pass out, whichever comes first and trying to dig in deep and channel the darkness within to reach this point is nothing short of transcendental to me. Nothing makes me happier than going all out to the point where I can barely walk home. Although I must admit, the older I get, I have come to realize that this is not going to be sustainable, but hey, you’re young only once right? Yolo.
- Self Experimentation: As an extension of my love for fitness, I love to go that extra mile and try the new fads. That said, I have experimented with Keto, Intermittent Fasting, Water only fasting (my longest was 3 days but aiming I’m for 5 next), Daily Cold shower therapy, Wim Hof breathing, meditation, lithium micro-dosing & modafinil. If something new is worth trying, you bet your ass I will try it. Out of these, the cold showers have been a life changer. You probably think that I have a problem. I agree.
- Minimalism: I’m a ninja at throwing things out and enjoy the process. If it’s old and has served its purpose, it’s gone. I want to keep very few materialistic things. The bare minimum and the rest are high kicked into the dumpster, and the things that get thrown out of my life extends to people as well.
- Lucid dreaming: I don’t know how and I don’t know when, but somewhere along my attempts to procrastinate from getting out of bed, I have mastered the art of lucid dreaming. I can go for hours in a semi-conscious semi-dream state and lucid dream into oblivion. Fuck VR, if there’s one alternate dimension I could live forever, it would be in my lucid dreams.
- Competency: People who are competent and good at what they do are some of my favorite people regardless of their social skills. I love spending time with them. I enjoy talking to people who are great at their craft. Finding out more about what got them into it, some insights and secrets of the art, and what they hope to achieve. It’s all endlessly fascinating to me. It doesn’t matter if you’re a coder, artist, carpenter or a mechanic. Hats off to such people.
- Showering my minions with gifts: I have a brother and 3 cousins who are my nearest and dearest. And every time I visit home, I love showering them with gifts. Being the big brother who buys them stuff and is always there to take care of them if they need anything is a responsibility I cherish most dearly.
- 0 to 1: Taking an idea from inception to reality. Starting from zero and creating something and having something to show is my favorite feeling. Having created something that wasn’t there before, it could be work related or just a hobby. I love the feeling of completion, and if you’re someone who can start a project without anyone asking you to or forcing you, regardless of how small the project, and can complete it by your own free will, creativity, and skills, you will forever be revered and respected in my books. Do things that nobody tells you to. It’s the secret to a successful life I have come to realize.
- Solo Travel: By now you must have realized I’m a bit of a loner, and you’re right. I have trekked, hiked, kayaked and traveled quite a bit all with the company of myself. And I love it. Judge me while I ignore your text and plan my next solo trip.
- Adrenaline kicks: I know it’s overrated and a cliche, but if you want to climb a mountain or jump off it, go drag racing, bungee jumping, off-roading, scuba diving, I will never say no.
- Figuring out the why: You probably don’t need another person recommending Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, but here it is anyway. Along with The Social Leap by William von Hippel. My favorite topic to read these days is to figure out why we do what we do, and how we have evolved to act the way we do. It’s enlightening and almost scary to think that in the end maybe we are not following our free will after all and just following our animal instincts.
- Connecting with a stranger: I’m shy and introverted, especially in a group setting. But on occasions when I do end up talking to a stranger, I love connecting and getting to know someone who is entirely out of my social circle. What makes them tick, their favorite things, memories and what they hope to achieve and the life they want to live. God, people are fascinating. If only you would give them a chance to show you.
- New people: This is new to me. I have always prided with the fact that my closest friends are my best friends from school. But the last couple of years having isolated myself from most of them I have had to let new people into my life. And it has been the best decision of my life. Hanging on to your old friends out of fear of the new in my opinion is a mistake. People grow up and grow out of friendships. Intentionally, unintentionally or circumstantially. But new people are willing to take that place. And letting in those new people can make your life magical. This is something I have discovered recently. Make new friends and let them into your life. Keep the door open to let people in, or to let the old ones leave if they want to.
- Chilling with the Brosky: I would give up anything, literally anything in the world at the drop of a hat to just spend time and chill with my brother. It might sound strange that a grown man is professing his love for his also grown up sibling, but well if I cared what you thought I wouldn’t have written this list anyway. He is the coolest and by far my most favorite human on the planet, and I can never get tired of hanging out with him. I hope you have a sibling or some other person who brings you the same amount of joy.
- Ok, one more. Bonus. Magical moments: It’s extremely rare and even tougher to create on purpose, but on a blue moon when it does occur, there’s nothing quite like it. To Walk hand in hand with a person you barely know, to share your emotions, your deepest fears, your scariest dreams, and what brings you to tears. To Look deep into each others soul by staring at their eyes and count all the ways they are different from yours. But in the end, know that you’re both the same, each one just trying to make it in one’s own way. Then say goodbye and walk away, with a memory you can never take away.
Ok now on some lighter note some miscellaneous stuff: Green Tea, Biriyani, waking up super early, stand up comedy, slapstick comedy, all sorts of comedy, new workouts, new workout gear, new gadgets, anything tech, beer by the beach, coffee in the mountains, fast cars, slow cars, all cars….
Kaushal Sadashiv 