For the restless spirit!

And just like that, another year comes to end..... the year that saw the beginning of the shape of our future years, the look and feel of the "new normal".... the year that the world tried so hard to look past Covid-19 and "get on with it" ... As I look back, I see there are some years that have left a huge impact behind in our lives - in a good or maybe not so good way - but they have been watershed years, have changed our life paths, have indeed changed us. And there are some that have been a lot quieter, giving one time to breathe and to adjust our sails to the new winds.  2019 was that watershed year - that changed most of what we had got used to, as normal.  2020 was the aftermath - emotions ranged from hope to despair to hope again as the world of science battled a pandemic in an unequal world. 2021 , I feel, is a "sampler" - a preview of how it is going to be for the next couple of years atleast - in your homes, at your workplaces, in your communiti...

You are always where you are supposed to be!  I have believed in this for long, more so in recent years when there has been paradigm shifts in my life - and this mindfulness has often helped me calm many a storm that could have overwhelmed.! Recently, I moved houses - after living in the same apartment for the last 7 years, in a buzzing and very popular locality for expats in Dubai. I loved my apartment in one of those Manhattan like high-rise buildings and thoroughly enjoyed my stay there, up above the clouds, literally!  Now, I have moved to an independent townhouse / villa in a quiet neighborhood with a lot of green therapy around me. The 2 places are as different as they could possibly be!  This move was ostensibly prompted by our youngest family member - Luke, our pet dog - who had, in 1 year, grown too big for apartment living. So we brought him to live in a more spacious and dog-friendly environment.  It's been 2 weeks now since the move and everyday I feel mo...

Meira is free spirited and does not like restrictions. She likes to wander and breathe free. However, the Covid-19 pandemic ofcourse proved stronger and all "wanderlusters" like me were more than happy to stay within the safety of our own nests, sanitizing many aspects of our lives for the better part of the last 2 years.  The beginning of 2021 saw the battle between science and the virus and vaccinations thankfully started winning, slowly but surely. By mid year, it seemed relatively safe to step out of your home, even your neighborhood. Steadily, we gathered courage and as always, a few armed with the vaccine, started venturing around ..... further and further away from the safety of their homes, still taking necessary precautions.  Much had changed since early 2019 - a "new normal" was taking shape in every nuance of our lives. Travel, especially international travel - the backbone of the new world since probably the 70's - also started to adjust, it just had...

It's that time of the year again! A reminder that despite all that's stopped moving or is just about beginning to gather momentum , Life goes on..... Tomorrow, I turn 54 - creeping up to the mid 50s mark, slowly but steadily.  As I look back, I realize that the last 12 months have seen a new "me" emerge, as i learned to just "be". Plans changed, so did goals and I adjusted my sails. I let go of a lot that wasn't serving me anymore - but without any bitterness - and embraced some new.  And I still look forward, I still dream .... tomorrow excites me more as I know not which way the winds will blow. The cup has emptied and all I see now are possibilities .....  Like these beautiful flowers I received this afternoon, I see a myriad of hues and a lot of blooms in the near future. I don't know from where and how ..... but I believe new doors and new connects behind them, await.  I am sure there will be some hiccups along the way, some may even require fre...

Today, our rescued pet pup turned 1.  Last Oct, when the world was still heaving under CoVid stress, a 9 week Luke ran to me when we went to the dog shelter. Little did I expect to bring home a pup even one day before that - in fact, I constantly battled against the idea - thinking it will weigh me down when I was ready to break free.  But Life reminded me .... that you never really know who walks into your lives at which corner of life .... and changes everything.  Looking back, I realize how much Luke has grounded, balanced and filled even the smallest crevice of my heart with his love, zest for live and healing energy. Probably I needed that for this new chapter in my life. This little unit we have formed over the last 10 months - between him, my daughter and myself - feels real and warm. I have loved watching the changing dynamics between my daughter and myself as she learns to be responsible for another soul who depends on her and adores the ground she walks on. That...

  It was as if the Universe knew that travel as I knew and enjoyed it, was soon going to be  impossible.  It was as if the Universe knew that the journey I had begun as Meira had done its job and that I was almost ready for my next chapter.  Towards the end of 2019, I felt this urge to do a final splurge on international travel and to go back to one of my favorite destinations - the Swiss Alps - but this time to see it's winter glory.  I knew I was about to soon resign from active working and may no longer have the kind of budget to do these kind of trips from 2020 - I actually felt I would not need it anymore; I had begun to feel completely healed and I was ready to sign off with a swan song.  This last journey had to be with my not-so-little one - so we coordinated to meet in Europe and travel to the white and magical Swiss Alps. As the bright red train chugged along the pristine white mountains and with my daughter by my side, I could almost literally fe...

  As an individual, I am one of those that like to stay in control - or atleast I was ....  I seemed to always know what I wanted and how I would like it served! I have always been open to random suggestions, but not a fan of following through - why did I need to? I was adventurous myself and often travelled the road less taken!!! Even then, the keys were held tightly in my fist :) The last couple of years taught me to loosen my grip - nudged me to believe it was alright to go with the flow sometimes. I started, suspiciously at the start, but gradually with more and more confidence and my horizons gained in perspective and splendor.  I always had a list of places to visit - and was meticulously going through it as the opportunity presented itself. I rarely looked for suggestions - didn't ever feel the need to. Until, my favorite co-traveller, my daughter started sharing some of her list.  And I was suddenly looking at new destinations!!!! I opened up, chose a country...

For me, travel has never ever been just about pretty or fancy destinations - yes I am a huge fan of natural beauty and have often lost myself in Mother Nature's arms. In contrast, I am also a big fan of places with what I call, character - ancient destinations that have a long and vivid history behind them and even today hold on to remnants of that heritage.  Traveling for me, is about discovering ..... not just the swanky and new but also the quaint and old.  For me , some destinations answer questions and some raise new ones.  My next trip, although impromptu, seemed to give me a sign .... Out the blue came an invitation to attend a cultural festival on the banks of the River Ganga, to discover the Varanasi where a 15th century mystic poet and saint was born and lived; from those very banks, he preached back then, that Truth is with the person who is on the path of Righteousness and who passively detaches from the affairs of the world. Learnings that the world could do ...

Strife is all too common these days. Probably due to these trying times, almost every relationship I see around seems to be feeling the stretch - and people want to run away from where they feel stuck to a place that will let them "just be".... I firmly believe we all need our own "safe space" - it could well be an actual place you feel you belong or a relationship that allows you to be you. It's therapeutic! When it comes to 2 people trying to mend ...anything.... I believe space / environment plays a role too. It is very difficult to heal in the same space you have been hurt - it's not impossible, but it is challenging. Hence the need to move away - physically. And that's where travel comes in ..... it can breathe  new life into a connect you thought was dead, it can rejuvenate hurt hearts and it can help to mend broken wings.  I was blessed to be able to find such safe spaces for myself and my daughter and it worked it's magic for sure. With each ...

  After I dropped my daughter off at her college in Sept 2015, I remember deciding - for the very first time - to go into a London pub on my own. I remember feeling terribly awkward and yet forced myself, thinking that I needed to get used to doing stuff alone. I distinctly remember finding a corner seat, ordering a beer and smoking whilst trying not to make eye contact with anyone; gradually the nerves eased and I looked around and saw I was not the only one sitting on their own. In about 20 odd minutes, I had even started making conversation with some of them! It wasn't so bad at all. I recall the smile on my face as I walked back to my hotel that night. Another first, and it made me more courageous ....  I was ready to go solo! Extract from Meira's Memoirs - Mar 2016 It was six months since my nest turned empty and I was just about wrapping my head around this new phase of life. I had completed the inevitable internal conversations on being lonely vs being alone and I was b...

  2021 - post the havoc caused by Covid -19 in the previous year, the aftermath continues and with it, comes more changes....  In the 15 odd years that I have lived in this adopted land, I have been fortunate to build a tribe - a group of girlfriends - that have been the wind beneath my wings, especially since 2014. I call us "the too much women" and we are a lot :) but between us, we have each others' backs, all the time.  One of us is leaving the country as a Covid casualty and the heart feels heavy ....  the tribe dynamics will change a bit, but I firmly believe that true friends never really leave your side and hence I know we will work our way around the geographies and find our space together again, going forward too.  It is far too precious to give up.   Our travels together have sealed this connect! Thankfully, I am blessed to remain connected to many of my tribe, living in different continents - we cant meet as often as I'd like to, but when w...

  2015 : the year my daughter was to complete high school and go into college.  A big milestone for both of us - the reason why I had to normalize her landscape as much as possible, despite many setbacks in 2014. Many considerations and factors were brought to the table and we spoke endlessly about what worked best, finally we agreed that sending her away from Dubai was probably the best for her and I was face to face with the daunting concept of soon being an empty nester. Definitely not an easy choice, given what I was personally going through.  However, going through this process, I learnt a major parenting skill - putting the interests of your little one ahead of yours. Now most parents will say that this is what they always do, but too many times, I have noticed that it is a camouflage for what we believe their "best interests" are ..... not necessarily what the child concurs with or even wants.  And once again, travel helped me make a decision - where will I le...

  2014 - it was quite a year for me, a watershed of sorts.  A lot changed. I lost both my parents and my marriage of 20 years. I had to steady my ship fast to enable my teenaged daughter to keep strong and focussed on her track.  I turned to travel - no longer as a passion but as a coping mechanism, to allow me to keep sane.  I turned to my homeland - my India., to its calming hills to seek answers.... Extract from Meira's memoirs - July 2014 " I just wanted to escape. Escape from my reality that was overwhelming. But like all who have had the rug pulled out from under their feet, I was unsure. With so many balls up in the air, should I travel? Could I afford it? I wanted answers and for clarity, I knew I had to travel to a neutral space, one that allowed me to introspect.   I traveled with my daughter to this very old school and quiet little property called "Wildflower Hall" tucked above the hill station of Shimla in Northern India. This stately home of an erst...

  These are sad times for those who love wanderlust, for those who seek to be wild and free....  But how can you hold back the soaring spirit - Covid or otherwise?  Hence "Meira" - my restless spirit - who has used these restrictives times to soar through her travel archives, to look at her personal journey across geographies, sometimes solo, sometimes with loved ones - to reflect on all she has learnt from her recent wanderings and how it has helped her become who she is, now. And so Meira begins ..... "There are some people who are meant to grow strong roots to a place and build beautiful things there, including a home full of warmth and love.  Then there are others who even when having to stay in one locale, feel the winds calling their name everyday, with promise of the new.  I belong to the latter. Period. Life had kept me focussed and based in the desert for many years, feeding the wanderlust in my soul with little drops - few and far in between. I will...

Time does fly ..... whilst we still seem to be heaving from the aftermath of 2020, we find ourselves already at the end of the first month of 2021. A lot of us had wished, prayed even, at the end of December last year that 2021 be kinder - so what did the first month of the year show?  I would say - uncertainty mostly but with a splattering of hope!  New cases of infection continue to rise amidst fears of lockdown again and at the same time, vaccination roll-outs across the globe are fostering some hope of protection against the impact of the virus,  if not total immunity.  The confidence we saw at the end of last year has dampened for sure; but we humans, don't give up so easily and so the battle wages on.  I believe that the past month has reminded us of what we truly control and can influence and where we are simply onlookers or receivers. It has reiterated what Steve Covey called the "circle of influence" - where we need to focus - however small that circle ...