Hello there!
A fantastic 2016 to you.
First of all, let me tell you how relieved I feel to be able to get this post out in January itself!
While new year is about doing new things (at least that’s how it begins, new promises, crisp new calendar (0h! if you’re still using them), new shoes that you’ve been saving for the new year, so on & so forth) sometimes it begins with a little retrospection for those with a strong tendency to look back and go over things (Read: Pastlife Seamstress).
This action is uber coolly called a ‘Throwback’ now.ย Well, that’s a first for me. This ‘Throwback’ thing. I hope I ‘throw’ it well or however it is supposed to be.
So let’s dive in and catch up?
Flights taken: 46 (Phew!)
Countries visited : 10 ( Smug ๐ )
Posts written: 20 (not so bad )
Haircuts: 2 (too much?!?)
Books read: 10ยผ (meh! not enough)
No. of friends made: 1 (by the ‘Grace’ of God ๐ )
Weddings attended: 2 (elated ๐ )
No. of takeaway meals: 0 (Proud. Very Proud)
Pairs of shoes bought: 14 (somewhere between guilty & ‘gloaty’)
Now these were significant quantifiable events/things of 2015 (although I feel I should have skipped the last one on the list). And then there are some, that cannot be quantified e.g.: ย no. of clothes bought, no. of movies watched, no. of scale readings/day and all those moments that were stolen from the daily grind.
Cruising along the yearly timeline and all the sights, culinary discoveries, people, conversations, journeys & jet lags, sunsets and sunrises, celebrations and festivities, laying plans, changing plans, day dreaming, introspection, setting deadlines, failing deadlines, shopping sprees, guilt trips, notes to selves, gossip and banter, lazy days, long days, lucky days, personal challenges and new ventures later, 2015 looks more like a chapter from a book. I’m glad that it does.
January
Fireworks from the earth and heavens! That’s exactly how 2015 began, thunder, lightning, gale, fireworks and a bubbly. From Balinese beaches to city lights of Hong Kong and coming home to a white winter – January was beautiful ๐
February
Back home. Back to the drawing board. No travel. We get them too, you know. The bills.
March
”Deviyon aur sajjanon, Indira Gandhi antar rashtriya hawai adde Dilli mein aapka swagat ย hai” (Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi). Ah! those sweet sweet words. No matter how groggy or queasy, they bring on the biggest widest smile…I’m home!!
April
How could I miss. A chance like this. To walk all day in slippers, to sway in a hammock, to be by the beach, where one’s (Read: Adi) phone is out of reach ๐ Yours truly, in God’s own country. You can’t have all that beauty without a divine intervention. Can you?
May
My photo montage suddenly got packed. Well, so was May. Turkish delights. Florentine romance and Balloon rides. Castles and valleys. David & I. ๐ Wait for this. It’s going to be a goooood one ๐
June
Only few things top a Swiss summer. Period.
July
Just as it’s weather, it took some time to warm up to it and learn how to spell it. The Flemish city of Bruges, although sitting long on our travel bucket list was well worth the wait and if I may take a wee bit of the credit, was well timed too ๐
August
August is all about celebrating another milestone together. And once again Viva ‘l’Italia’. Italy is now the most visited country for us besides India and Switzerland ๐ and I’m not complaining, can still do with more of it. Bring it on.
September
Although I’ve loved most places I’ve been to but there are some places that …erm…how should I put it politically correct…how about ‘Less is More’? While a trip to New York City was made sweeter by family, the azure waters of Capri didn’t exactly sail our boat.
October
Beautiful. Delicious. Sunny. Festive. Romantic. Colourful. Mellow. Is it Autumn or all things that life should be? I will say no more but just that we did cancel a fully booked trip stay here ๐
November
Festival of lights, short and sweet home break and a quick trip to Fog City – San Francisco. November was rather busy, rather warm, rather un-Novermber-ish.
December
December got us hunting for more treasures from the past and we did find a lot and then some. A never disappointing Thailand and with a very humbling, traditional, spiritual (and mythological?) start to 2016 in Cambodia – I’m back! With lots to share and lots to learn, I so look forward to every brand new day of this brand new year (Except for Mondays when I have my class ๐ )
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Now you’ve caught up. ๐
Happy New Year once again, see you soon!
Lovely! A little late but worth wait!!!
Happy New Year to you too……
May God shower all his rarest benedictions on you & the partner …….EXTRAVAGANTLY!!!!
Thank you for being generous and kind with your words! ๐
This is brilliant writing.
Thank you loads! So glad you liked it ๐