Life Unpacked

The old clock at CST station took no liberty of speeding past to 11.30 pm as I waited there, getting flanked in each direction by strangers, for the Amritsar Express. Contained in this sea of anonymity, forty were the ones I was going on a 10-day long trip of a lifetime to the mountains with, on a day's notice. 'Nervous' shall be the word people would use to define the state of being of a person in that very situation. But honestly, all my nervousness vanished and indifference took over as soon as I arrived at CST for the days ahead. Long-distance train journeys are a chore, generally, yet every time they end up being an adventure worth recalling. This one was no exception: from finally understanding the game of cards to almost missing the train at Itarsi, everything 90s happened during the rail yatra which concluded at Ambala Cantonment. Packing light was the biggest favour I did to myself on the trip, and that I realised as I glided past the 40 and into our bus with...

After an overwhelming September, every inch of my existence demanded a getaway from the monotony prevalent in my days currently. Hence, when this weekend presented me with an opportunity to explore the art of eating for wellness, amidst a setting straight out of a storybook through the Life Enhancing Cooking Workshop at Hilton Shillim, I simply couldn't say no. The Scenic Drive See? I wasn't boasting about the wildflowers! Nestled in the Sahyadris, the 320 acres-wide Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa is a wellness space with a focus on environmental sustainability. Merely a 3 hours long drive away from the madness that is Mumbai, this place was all that my battered batteries needed. One can actually sense the serenity setting in en-route to the property itself as the car whizzes on narrow winding roads with the Pawana Lake in the backdrop. And as I happened to be visiting right after the finale of monsoon, I was greeted with greens of varying shades and w...

Sometimes, all you need is a reason to pack your bags. And when that reason happens to be the birthday party of one of your friends, you are already ready with a bag full of stuff for that extreme weekend within a blink. Now I won't bore you with the details of the party, rather, I'll simply jump to the part (I think?) you all are here for- The travelogue. The Journey Honestly, it was a very rushed trip whose details were etched out in the last minute. The night before embarking on the adventure, the group was abuzz with cancellations. It took our host exiting the group in rage for us to get our act together! True story. Anyway, due to crowd concerns, we decided to play safe and we reserved train tickets for travelling to Vapi. Post a dreadful lunch of Triple Fried Schezwan Rice, we were on our way to Nani Daman bus stop in the share-taxi. The drive was a pleasant one; something which I could truly appreciate once I saw the usual path through the concrete mayhem and...