Connectivity

By Varun Gupta

Switzerland

In the shadow of the Alps,
I find myself smaller,
Yet more connected than ever before—
The mountains stretch far,
But they don’t intimidate,
They invite me in,
Teach me how to listen.

The crisp air carries voices from different lands,
Words I don’t always understand,
But somehow, they feel like home—
The rhythm of strangers’ laughter,
The quiet hum of footsteps across cobblestone,
The shared silence of a Swiss lake,
Where stillness speaks louder than sound.

I’ve learned here that distance isn’t measured in miles,
But in moments we share with others—
A smile passed between people at a café,
The gentle nod of a passerby,
The warmth of hands reaching for the same sky.

And nature—
Nature has become a voice in my soul,
A reminder that I am part of something vast,
Something ancient,
Unchanging,
Yet always in motion.
The trees that stand tall at the edge of a village,
The streams that rush with a language all their own,
These things remind me that I am not alone.

In the distance, I can see the world moving—
And I feel the pulse of it beneath my feet.
I am tied to it,
Connected to everyone who has ever stood in awe
Of something bigger than themselves.
And in the heart of these mountains,
I am learning what it means to belong.