I'm Ritik Kratzel, and I'm 21 years old. I was born and raised in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India. My whole life, I have been surrounded by the snow-capped mountains. While I love my hometown, I have a strong desire to explore other parts of the world, with New Zealand being top on my list, with its stunning natural beauty and abundance of tiny houses that I dream of building myself. This daydreaming happens when I'm lying in my room in front of the TV, which is my favorite thing in the world. I can never get tired of it. But lately, we haven't been spending quality time like we used to, with hours, days, and weeks of binge-watching movies and series. But when all this does not happen and I'm out of the house under the sun, it's mostly when I hang out with my friends.
Mostly, it's just me and my best friend Pradeep, who are in search of adventure in Manali. We both have nothing specific to do, which leads us to engage in unnecessary activities and travel distances for no reason. However, we excel at discovering hidden spots and exploring the beauty around us. For the last seven years, we’ve discussed starting a business multiple times, meeting to plan, but we have yet to succeed. Other than him, I have many friends with whom I travel and meet, along with college friends who have become lifelong companions.
I'm also a web developer. Initially interested in hacking, I bought a Raspberry Pi, but ARM architecture
presented challenges, and destiny had other plans. I stumbled upon a YouTube HTML tutorial, and soon after,
my brother and his business partner needed a web developer. I joined them with my basic knowledge and
learned through hands-on experience, building websites using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. Since
then,
I've worked on both front-end and back-end development, server management, and problem-solving, consistently
expanding my skills and delivering quality results.
I’m passionate about solving Rubik's cubes and have spent eight years honing my skills. My average solving time for the standard 3x3 cube is under 20 seconds. I’ve also explored various cube puzzles, including the 2x2, 4x4, and 5x5 cubes, as well as the Megaminx, Pyraminx, Skewb, and Mirror Cube. I even ventured into teaching cubing through a YouTube channel, where I created instructional videos. While the channel didn’t fully take off due to life’s unpredictability, I’ve always kept the possibility of a revival in mind. Who knows, maybe one day I'll start again.
Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve dreamed of becoming an astronaut and exploring space. Back in school, I had a plan, but life had other ideas. Now, at 21, my top goal is still to go to space. I know it’s not the usual way, but I’m on a path to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Maybe I’ll earn enough for a space ticket, or perhaps, just maybe, I’ll get the chance to befriend someone like Elon Musk, who might say, “Come on, let’s go!” These are the dreams of a 21-year-old, still reaching for the stars.