My experiments with the blog

Not really sure how far do I have to go to get rid of it - it's a strange feeling now!! I believe everyone goes through it at one point, it makes one laugh at times, it makes one think at times and it makes one get in a pensive mood and for sure it makes one take years back in time - but the fact is it still does not leave you.

Sitting alone in the balcony, driving late night, coming back after meeting friends - family, while reading a book, staring at stars in night, while travelling, changing flights and waiting at the airports, when meeting new strange people, being in a completely new unknown place, going though happiest and saddest moments - it just comes whiffs across your mind for a while - and it changes your perspective all of a sudden. It makes you question so many times, makes you wonder why it is this way but still you accept it as is.

I guess I do not want to get rid of it after all - it makes me realize about the best of times and about who I am. I enjoy it now whenever it comes - it's just part of life now.

I will have to get used to it and get adapted to it - after all Charles Darwin once rightly said "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change".

Rest laters K

Well, here I am again to continue and finish the journey of mine from 2011 to 2012 which I left last month. So after I got sober from all the wilderness of new year celebration, it was time to visit one of my favorite cities where I began my professional career in US straight after completing my Masters from Texas A&M University, College Station. It was mid of January and my project required me to be in San Diego so spent week and a half - in addition to work I was able to catch up with my old friends with whom I spent some memorable time while I was working in San Diego. Also managed to visit couple of places in San Diego where I would say they will go long time in the memory lane!!

After San Diego, it was quiet for a while as far as travel was concerned - finally planned a trip to Miami in April with one of my very good friends and his family. I would say this was more of an impromptu trip instead of a planned one - we both wanted to get away for a weekend so found a good deal and made it happen. I won't forget that this was the first time in my life (even until now, July 2013) that I missed my flight - lesson well learnt how to plan when you have a family especially with the kid :) Overall it was a really good relaxing trip, spent quality time in Miami downtown and South Beach.

Next destination was Toronto, Canada for work for almost a full week in late August  - wow, what a place is this if one is an Indian food fanatic - so many options and all of them really good!! I consider myself fortunate to work under my team's manager and a leader for a brief period of time as I got to learn so many things as far as professional and personal behavior is concerned. So, in Toronto same manager go us to see Niagara Falls, Toronto Downtown and the famous CN tower (CN refers to Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower in 1976), in fact we had dinner in the revolving restaurant from where one can see a 360 degree view of the city. It was an amazing experience. Currently, CN tower is 5th tallest free-standing structure in the world and stands at 1,815.4 feet.

Come mid September and I was once again in Toronto but this time for a longer duration. Spent 3-4 weeks between September and October before I went to India for my vacation. I landed in Chennai on Oct 28th and spent first four days in Chennai at work as one of our projects was going live. I had always thought about Goa and wanted to visit but for some reason it didn't work out but this time I had planned to be there along with my brother and his friend so from Chennai I flew to Goa - Boy!! What a place is this - we stayed for 5 days (Calangute Beach) and at the end of the trip I had made up my mind that this is the place one should visit every year or so and I had already started thinking about to settle there for ever. Place is so natural with very laid back crowd, so relaxing - I guess I know where to settle after my retirement (although it's too far from now and one never knows what's going to happen tomorrow but still nothing wrong in thinking -will obviously have to plan for that). We also visited Vegator, Anjuna, Baga beaches along with Calangute and last but not the least 'Chapora Fort' where famous Hindi movie 'Dial Chahta Hai' was shot for couple of scenes - The fort is made of red laterite and was built by the Portuguese in 1617, on the site of an earlier Muslim structure (the name Chapora is the corruption of the word "Shahapura" or "Town of the Shah"). So after Goa, it was time to head back home (Mohali) - we made a road trip from Goa back to Bangalore first and then next day flew to Chandigarh. Spent 3 weeks at home before I made my journey back to Houston.