A Perfect Way to Recharge #Musings

Nothing works better than the much-needed holiday to give one a break from the routine and the mundane, away from the noise and the clamour! In fact, if you’ve read my recent guest post, you’ll know what traveling means to me and my better half, Jay. In fact, I’ve just returned from a short family holiday, recharged and envigorated after a relaxing break.

Every year, during this time, we get away from the city because of the Diwali celebrations, and the rising pollution levels that trigger serious respiratory ailments for our son, now 13! This year, we’ve also had a particularly stressful time as a family and have been looking forward to a family vacation, to unwind and recharge with that much-needed holiday.

There was enough downtime to get rested and to relax, and catch up on real-time conversations with old friends we were meeting after nearly two decades—so different from the virtual communication that we’re so used to, most of the time. We got to explore a gorgeously beautiful city for the first time, and check out the local cuisines that we never knew of! (I’m not disclosing the details. More coming on my travel blog soon!) The learning came as a result of the discovery of yet another way of life, of people from a different culture, and realising how, everywhere, despite the differences, human emotions and relationships work in quite a similar fashion, bringing in a sense of commonality in the way we view life and how we perceive our wants and needs! The best part of it all was getting away from social media during the six days that we traveled, soaking in new experiences and reliving every minute of our experiences, as best as we could! In fact, we couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Vacations are great that way, because they offer us not just an occasion to unwind and rest but also make us realise how minuscule we are in the grand scheme of things, and what an insignificant place we occupy in this amazing world that we belong to; of how little we know our fellow beings from other cultures, and their lives, far removed from our own insular existences. A lot of learning and unlearning happens as we travel and once we return home, it dawns on us how our visions have broadened and how we no longer view things the way we did earlier— at least, not without being altered a little in our minds and hearts!

As always, every trip makes me deeply grateful for being able to leave the comforts of my home to experience the indefinable joy of seeing new places and meeting new people— an opportunity that is denied to many others and it humbles me beyond words. Gratitude makes me enjoy all that comes my way during the travels, with an open mind and a smile! ‘Take nothing for granted”, reminds my soul, from time to time and I quietly follow through!

Like most Bangaloreans, I’m grateful today, we’ve got the much-needed respite from the ongoing rains and flooding, that has been wreaking havoc in the city, nearly everywhere. A partially overcast sky feels so much safer today! Homes will not be flooded, people won’t get washed away and commuters won’t get stuck on the road. Praying that it stays that way for the rest of the week! On that note, I sign off.

Here’s to a happy week ahead for all!

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Linking this post with #MondayMusings at EverydayGyaan by Corinne.