It’s 7:37 am on Tuesday, 19th May 2026.
I spent three weeks at AltSpace, Dharamshala. In the simplest terms, it’s a curated, coliving, and slow travel experience. Imagine rooms, dorms, a dining area, space to work out and play sports, coworking, etc.
It has been exactly 34 hours and 3 minutes since I said goodbye to my friends in Dharamshala and promised to visit again.
Today I woke up missing the campus.
It’s sad that I can’t soak up the sun while looking at the mountains. That was my morning ritual. It’s sad I can’t spend evenings playing Volleyball. It’s sad I can’t just say let’s do something and everyone assembles for board games. It’s sad I can’t hang out with the same bunch of people.
I have been to retreats and curated rooms before. I have spent time with highly talented people. But only a few people make you feel you belong. Only a few places make you want to give more than what you could take, yet always end up giving you more.
AltSpace is one of the most beautiful chapters of my life.
If I was time travelling and a young Vikra is visiting AltSpace for the first time, this is what I’d say to him:
Look up, strike a conversation.
Even with all its heartwarming views, AltSpace’s value is in its people. There’s no point if you’re not spending time with people. We went for the place, weather, and nature. We stayed for the people. Like actually stayed. We extended by a week.
10k steps are the default.
If you’re worried about movement, you will have your most fun 10k steps. Walks are fun. You can play sports. Plus you can always hike around to watch sunsets.
Ask for help.
You will be stunned by the number of smart people around you. Could be life, work - if you need advice, AltSpace always has someone to give you a perspective. I learned so much about marketing, products, and countless life lessons.
Say hi. Or good morning. Or whatever.
You have no idea how simple things cheer you up. Look at people, smile, do the small talk. The one-minute walks from the dining area, the time you make coffee at the common kitchen, small breaks between work - if you can just wave at one person and say hi during this time, I promise you gain more energy.
You will realise how little you have to work.
When it’s just me and my work in isolation, I spend a lot of time pretending to work. I pick up tasks that aren’t important. I feel validated by the pseudo-productivity.
But when you always have scope for interesting activities with interesting people, you learn to prioritise tasks and compartmentalise work. My productivity was still the same when I was at AltSpace, but with a lot more fun.
AltSpace is a place for many firsts.
My first TT tournament, first hike, first attempt at flute and guitar, first cold plunge in a stream, first stand-up comedy set, etc. The diversity of the people introduces you to many activities you didn’t think were cool.
Say yes to new activities, even if they don’t interest you.
My perfectionism doesn’t allow me to explore new things in public. I have a fear of embarrassment. Over time, I learned embarrassment is an investment.
At AltSpace, I wrote and performed jokes in a standup comedy workshop, attempted to play guitar and flute, and participated in a table tennis competition.
I sucked at all these activities and didn’t become any better in three weeks. But allowing myself to get embarrassed helped me discover new corners of my interests. I might not be super enthusiastic about TT, but I definitely want to write more jokes and learn to play an instrument. Big shoutout to AltSpace for making me feel safe to try new things and suck at them.
AltSpace gave me friends I’d love to meet again. This place showed me how to truly work and live, without really compromising on ambition. I learned how important it is to surround yourself with those who help you gain energy. I’m curious about new hobbies, I am finally sketching - all because AltSpace helped me zoom out of city life. Plus mountains, birds chirping all day, clean air, and lots of stars to gaze at.
On my last day, I spent five minutes at all of my favourite spots in silence. It’s my way of saying thank you and goodbye to what I love. It’s my way of telling myself we won’t see each other for a while.
More than missing AltSpace, I will cherish happy moments and fall back on them when I need a smile.
When I want to ask people if they liked something, I ask, “Would you do this again?”
So… would I visit AltSpace again?
All I can say is it’s not bad to bet there would be part two to this essay someday.
From my gallery… Until I become better at taking pictures and get a good camera, you will have to bear with my amateurish photos. Some of my favs:
