Most self-help advice for any anxious, depressed, or anyone going through some mental trauma revolves around rewiring your brain. “X steps to fix your mood forever.” Although well-intentioned, they all seem to skip a critical step. In order to rewire your brain, you first need to identify exactly when your brain is spiraling out of […]
A day in the life of a newbie solo traveller
On my first solo trip to Kashmir, I wanted to go for a day or two hikes in Gulmarg/Pahalgam. But the weather had suddenly become quite cold (~Zero degree Celsius at night) and I didn’t have appropriate winter clothing. Contemplating between whether or not to buy all the winter gear and then a hard look […]
From Cacti Killer to Gardener
This quote hits home. I’ve tried growing plants a couple of times. And I’ve killed all of them – every single time. I’m talking about killing – Aloe vera and cactus, also known as the king and queen of the most indestructible plants on every gardening list. After a while, I ran out of excuses […]
Why Kashmir is my happy place?
Kashmir became my home in just one visit. And almost the whole of it is because of these people. I went on a solo trip to Srinagar and stayed with Insha and her beautiful family for 6 nights. I’ve never stayed/seen such a huge property and also lived with a joint family. The place is […]
My Solo Trip To Kashmir And A Brush With Kashmiriyat (Part 1)
Terrorism and Jannat are the two words that come to your mind when you think about Kashmir. The magical valleys as I had only seen in photographs and movies were calling me for a while now. It has always been on top of my bucket list. But the constant horror stories of curfews, crackdowns, terrorist […]
Dear Husband,
12 Years ago, on this day, I met a guy in a tech conference who looked quite clueless. Little did I know that he was actually following me throughout the event and was startled when his crush approached him out of the blue. We became best friends within a year and I had no idea […]
End The Struggle – Set Boundaries
From the moment I was born, I have always been ‘The Good Girl’. This in turn resulted in always saying ‘Yes’’ and never ‘NO’. Always adjusting and agreeing with other people’s requests rather than questioning them. And never learning to set any boundaries with people close to me or just myself. I kept a lot […]
Why is self-care so hard for women?
Aunt – Your uncle is out of town for 3 weeks. I haven’t cooked a proper meal for quite a while now.Me : But why? You love cooking.Aunt : Yes, but why should I put so much effort just for myself? Honestly, my immediate reaction was that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. But then […]