It has been three months of living away from home for my first big girl job. I pack my own lunch every morning. I wake up early to make a cup of coffee and drink it in peace before stepping into hustle mode. Today, I went to watch Kung Fu Panda 4 in the theatre—all by myself—and had the best time. If that is not adulting, I don't know what is.  A friend asked me recently how I have been. Out of habit, I instantly said I was fine. I think, for the first time in my life, I actu

(read part 1 to know how I ended up at the Everest Base Camp) We've sailed daringly to unknown continents, built enormous machines to crack the atom, walked on the moon, constructed behemothic mechanical eyes to peer into the depths of the cosmos and sent envoys of mankind to the edge of the solar system. Why? All because our feeling of ignorance compels us to explore. That may be why we climb mountains. We set our sights on the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest, and

(I wouldn't exactly call it running. I took baby steps and walked extremely slowly while running terribly out of breath.) I am 21 years old. Nine months ago, I decided I wanted to take a break from college. It is not common practice to take a year off while pursuing a five-year bachelor's degree. I felt like an oddball, and I still do, but I have now found comfort and pride in the title. I plan on writing a detailed blog post about why I took a gap year, but the following inf

I recently underwent LASIK eye surgery and no longer need prescription glasses. It feels like I've lost a dear part of my identity. Now...

Last August, I went to Singapore which is a country smaller in population than Surat. I think that’s a fact worth mentioning. Anyway, it...

I lived like a monk for 10 days to learn Vipassana, an ancient meditation technique. Here's how it went. (This is the final post of a three-part series on Vipassana. Check out part 1 and part 2 to read about what Vipassana is and what made me decide to go.) My Experience According to Buddhism, the ego is a self erected entity that only exists by itself and gives rise to selfishness and greed. The key to living a content life then lies in practising selfless compassion and

I lived like a monk for 10 days to learn Vipassana, an ancient meditation technique. Here's how it went. (check out part 1 to read about what Vipassana is) Why did I decide to go? I don't come from a religious background. I am an outcome of people of science. My parents are doctors. So are my maternal grandparents. On the other side of the family, my dada-dadi majored in chemistry. While science and religion aren't mutually exclusive, I think it is safe to generalise that th

I lived like a monk for 10 days to learn Vipassana, an ancient meditation technique. Here's how it went. It has been a month since I...

As this year nears its end, I thought it’d be fitting to write about endings. In hindsight, it seems reclusive to let this be my first...