Hello again. You don’t necessarily have to have a topic when you write, right? I mean either you could have a totally epic, awesome idea which is just mind-blowing and could actually change the world, or you could be like me. Just for the record, being “me” is sitting in front of the laptop, singing a Rascal Flatts song and staring at the ceiling. Yep. I’m just oozing with creativity right now! (Do I need to point out sarcasm anymore?)

Anyway, this morning, I looked outside the window and all I could see were...*drumroll please*…trees. Yep. I saw trees. Not a big surprise. I mean, living in Munnar is like eternally looking at a thousand Christmas trees at once. It’s beautiful. Breathtaking actually. Now, back to the point, if this essay actually has one. My cousins, who live in a place which is not a jungle, always ask me whether I have seen the latest movies or gone out with friends recently. My response is almost always the same thing. I say: “No. I live in a jungle.”  Simple and straight to the point.

As much as I feel like a total idiot admitting to them that I haven’t seen the latest movie or things like that, I have to say that living in a jungle certainly has its perks. So here, I proudly present to you, The Perks of Living in a Jungle.

#1

If you throw me into the wild, I can most definitely survive. If you tell me that I have to live in the wilderness and it’s a less violent version of the Hunger Games, I would be the victor. WITHOUT DOUBT. (You think otherwise, you’re dead.) I mean living in the “jungle” for the past 13 years would have taught me something or the other. I may not be able to light a fire or make a shelter or do the obvious things like that but I certainly have other major survival skills like, updating my Facebook status regarding what I had for breakfast in the jungle, or I could also skillfully take a selfie with a monkey and post it on instagra—oh! Those aren't survival skills?….Lets just move on to #2.

#2

Another cool thing about living in the jungle is that over the course of time, I have learnt how to communicate with Monkeys. We always see monkeys outside, just casually swinging off of branches and making monkey sounds. “o-o-o a-a-a.”  I just know when they are agitated or when they are simply basking in the glory of the greenery and life itself.(I think.) I have to admit though, one time, I was sitting outside on the lawn all alone and all of a sudden I saw a hu-uge monkey swinging on branches and he was quite loud too. At that moment, I was terrified. All I could think about was the movie ‘Rise of the planet of the apes.’ I wasn't ready to be slain by a monkey of all things! So I did what was beneficial for the Earth. I screamed like a total girl and ran back into the house. Mr. Monkey would have probably gotten scared of my mighty roar and warned his fellow monkey friends not to hurt us. All of you humans are forever indebted to me. 

#3

Another cool thing is that there are enough and more trees. You know what are on trees?...Vines. You know what that means! I can learn how to swing on them to my heart’s content. Something city kids will never know or learn. I’m set for life now. Just think about it, when other kids get from place to place, they do it in a rather boring manner. But me? I will arrive in style. With the wind blowing in my hair and the adrenaline pumping through my veins. It will be epic, until the vine breaks and I fall to my tragic death. Well, that escalated quickly!

#4

The final reason I find living in a jungle delightful, I can now finally call myself “Aakansha of the jungle.” Get it? You know, like “George of the jungle”? No? Uhh..well this is awkward.

These are the perks of living in a jungle. Oh boy, that was such a random essay. I don’t even know how to end it. Ha-ha! Well, let’s see, I love Munnar. It’s a crazy mix of everything.  It’s a place that houses all of my fondest memories. It’s everything to me. Its home. Anyway, I guess that’s it.

Peace.