For the restless spirit!

..... the first 2 months of 2022 are past us now .... The central theme of the last 2 years - the pandemic - seemed to be finally easing its iron grip on the world as nations, economies, communities start to limp back to a life more resembling the one we left behind in 2019.  Yet, before we could adjust to the new normal, out of the blue and because we as humans, simply refuse to learn, war, an act of aggression against another nation comes back to our horizons, our homes, our TVs and our realities. And we thought this was a medium of decision making decades ago!   Covid was not anyone's choice or atleast we still assume it wasn't ..... war is. Recently, I have been reading the book "Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari and was quite interested by the ways in which we, humans, have developed over millions of years; however equally intriguing seemed the ways in which we have continued the ways of the less civilized society of yesteryears. And this wa...

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...