This Couple From Gurugram Moved To Live A life In The Mountains & It’s Not Easy

Who doesn’t want a quaint home in the lap of the mountains? But very less people can actually materialize this dream into reality. Lovepreet Kumar, in the mid-2000s, was longing for open roads free from traffic, mundane cycling trips, unadulterated food, pollution-free air, and of course a house in the hills. He was a software architect back then and wanted to escape the monotonous life in the city.

He took the plunge in 2012 and moved to Ramgarh, a village in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district. Then he purchased a 2.5 Naali (1 Naali = 240 square yards) and built a house on it and also reserved some area on his plot for farming.

There were a lot of reasons that pushed Lovepreet and his wife, Preeti, to the edge of leaving Gurugram to live a quaint and peaceful life in the mountains. Lovepreet told The Better India,

“I wanted to free myself from the clutches of a 9-5 corporate job. My hectic job at an MNC left me with very little time to enjoy and appreciate much else. Besides, I wanted to live in a healthy environment with clean air, food, and water. I was done with the rat race, and wanted something that could resonate with me”

The couple obviously faced several tough scenarios, which includes choosing a good school for their children and giving up on many materialistic aspects of life. Lovepreet and Preeti have a YouTube channel named the Punjabi Trekker where they have been actively sharing their experiences and learnings from their new home.

Moving to the mountains was a very tough call for Preeti, but she was willing to try and didn’t back down. She said,

“Who doesn’t love the idea of escaping their hectic routine? But I was apprehensive about adjusting to the climate, slow pace of life, and absence of amenities. Fortunately, because of Lovepreet, I fell in love with nature”

The First Move

This whole ordeal of fascination with the hills and mountains of Lovepreet began in 2006 when he took a trip to Shimla with Preeti. Genuinely shocked by the breathtaking views, he began making more trips to the hills thereafter. He would judiciously utilize his leaves from work, and drive from Gurugram to Uttarakhand with his wife. He had figured out the time to explore lesser-known locations across Uttarakhand and he was glad that he had a partner who was just as adventurous as he was. But his discontent with city life kept growing.

In 2008, Lovepreet quit his comfortable job and took up freelancing opportunities that allowed him flexible working hours, thus the ability to work from anywhere in India. Also during one of his trips, he spontaneously rented a house in the region.

Preeti exclusively told,

“After returning from the trip, Lovepreet told me he had rented a house and was going to shuttle between Delhi and Uttarakhand. By this time, I had gauged his love for the hills, and the house only affirmed it. We would visit the house during our children’s vacation from school. After a few years, I was ready to move there permanently”

In 2012, they purchased a plot of land in Ramgarh, a village with a relatively low population. In fact for the next few years, Lovepreet had to shuttle between his house in Gurugram and Ramgarh. Then in 2018, Preeti and the two kids decided to join him permanently. They had to enroll their son and younger daughter in a public school in that area.

The house has been designed by the couple in a way such that it resonates with their philosophy of sustainability and minimalism. It has pinewood flooring and roofing, small windows at various intervals, a studio-like kitchen in the living room, and overlooks a beautiful cliff, allowing ample sunlight in.

Lovepreet strongly suggested that one should experiment with the idea of living in the hills before taking some huge life-changing decisions such as purchasing a plot of land or quitting their job.

Always keep yourself busy

With limited entertainment options and unpredictable WiFi and cellular network getting frustrated is a very genuinely common phenomenon, says Lovepreet. Thus, one must find an activity that will keep them busy. The couple also found solace in farming.

Preeti said,

“Our main aim was to consume organic and healthy food. So, we collected some seeds and began growing”

Ramgarh falls under Kumaon, a region that favours fruit trees. The couple started by growing peaches which got followed by apples, maple, walnuts, pumpkin, malta, apricot, plum, oranges, and sweet limes.

The peach trees are a huge revenue generator for the couple. Each tree produces around 40 kilos of peach, and they sell per kilo within a range between Rs 150 and Rs 400.

Lovepreet explained,

“The main produce in fruits are peaches, and we have around 150 peach trees, each producing up to 40 kilos. We also have five plums, four apples, two apricots, one walnut, three deodar and four oak trees”

Preeti also opened up about farming and said,

“For me, farming is like meditation. I forget my worries while working with the soil and plants. It brings me immense satisfaction to know we’re maintaining good health and consuming organic food. We use spring water for farming, which enhances the taste and health benefits of produce”

They found joy in little things

Lovepreet proudly revealed that once they stopped chasing the “unnecessary” things in life, the family’s overall expenses were drastically reduced.

Lovepreet says,

“We don’t have superstores or shopping malls, where one goes to buy one item but ends up buying multiple things they may not even need. The cost of living is less in a village compared to the city, as groceries are cheaper. We get wheat flour at Rs 28/kilo in the hills, in contrast to Rs 45 in Gurugram. Besides, the quality of produce here is better, as it comes directly from farms. Medical expenses are negligible, as we live close to nature. Likewise, electricity and water bills are very low”

Lovepreet finally feels like he is out of the rat race.

Preeti explains,

“As for the family’s health and well-being, the biggest difference they have noticed since moving to the hills is in their son’s migraine issue. After moving here, he no longer gets headaches. The hills are our gym. Our exercising routine entails working on the farm and running daily in the fresh air. We feel more energetic”

Summarising their overall experience of living in the hills, Lovepreet says,

“Whether it is feeding rice to the birds in the morning, taking a stroll near a stream during sunset, learning about the local culture and listening to historic tales, or spending time with our Hachi, our Husky, we have experienced unparalleled joy every day”

The children are supposed to move in with their joint family in Gurugram as soon as they are done with Class VIII. However, Lovepreet and Preeti are content knowing that their kids have learned valuable life lessons and actually learned to appreciate the small joys in their lives.