The Return of the Yoga Mat

It's been a while since I've practiced Yoga. But, a couple of weeks ago, after a particularly stressful week on both personal and professional fronts, distraction and peace-of-mind were much needed. So, out went sitting-home-and-flipping-channels, and in came a gym membership. Thankfully, with lots of options for Yoga classes, and great instructors.

I've made it a point to practice twice a week - and have been doing so for the last two weeks. I look forward to my Yoga days, to the calm, the peace of mind, and the serenity they bring me, even if it's only for an hour. It's my time, and I'm not judged on my performance. There are good days, bad days, and really bad days. But, the Mat is ever-forgiving.

During our last class, Sheryl, my Yoga instructor, said to us that Yoga Practice is much like life. There will always be ups, downs. There will always be more to reflect on, more to learn. There will always be great days, not-so-great-days. The most important lesson you need to learn is to forgive - because there will always be a next time bringing you more to look forward to.

So, from my Mat to yours, I bow to you. Namaste.

FALL-ing in love!

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love fall and everything about this season. Pumpkin spice and apple ciders, that cool crisp autumn breeze, fall mornings, fall evenings, afternoon naps, the golden and burgundy hues... it's all so beautiful!

B-school has kept me busy this semester, and I have not gotten a chance to go leaf-peeping. But, I do try to snap a pic once in a while. This morning, while I was walking back from the train station, I saw these beautiful golden leaves with green ones in the background. So gorgeous, it deserved a special mention on the blog-space :)

They say...

...that absence makes the hearts grow fonder.

If you asked me a year ago, I'd have convinced you otherwise - that absence makes the hearts grow fonder towards other people! I'm extremely (and at times, abnormally) attached to my closest friends - and any absence from them would probably make me miserable because I'd miss them way too much.

But lately, I've started to sort-of, kind-of believe that absence - and distance - from your closest friends perhaps do make the hearts grow fonder. It's strange because this change in feelings has creeped up to me so fast, it's making my head spin.

Happy 2013!

I had said in my last post that I'll post more often, but that didn't really happen, did it?  :)

Looking back on last year, I feel satisfied and content with my accomplishments - both personal and professional. I'm happy that I have a supportive family and a wonderful and encouraging set of friends who have stuck by me through the thick-and-thin.

This year, I want to be a little more organized than I was last year - not organized in terms of being OCD about how things are kept, but organized in terms of my thought process. I want to learn how to be able to get past the little things in life and see the big picture. I want to travel to places that I haven't been to before and take time out to write. I want to live healthier, eat healthier, and incorporate these habits into my day-to-day life. I want to challenge myself to be personally, professionally, and academically better - I can't let the nitty-gritty or minor hiccups bog me down. It's time to buckle up - this may be a bumpy ride but I'm all about the adventure!

Hi, Atus!

It's been a long hiatus from the blogging world. The last six months have been a learning experience, both work-wise, and life-wise.

I think I'm a better person... maybe a little more independent, perhaps more of a fighter.

Hoping to not be away from the blogging world for as long again!

Not-Long Weekend

This had to be the shortest long weekend. Ever.

I guess when you have too much fun or relax more than you're used to over a long weekend, time flies by fast. Well, it did. This past weekend was a long weekend as we had Monday off for July 4th. Well, Monday evening had me thinking - was this an illusion or did I really see an entire long weekend run past me?

So now that I've whined (and you have oh-so-patiently read) about how short the long weekend was, let me tell you what I did.

Saturday - Sandy Hook beach-trip with some awesome friends. Long drive, Beach-volleyball, Drenched-in-the-Atlantic, and then the best part was dinner... my favourite Chopsuey Dosa and Kala-Khatta Golas! It was all very Chowpatty-like.

Sunday - Rainy rainy day. Watched a lot of mindless TV and took a two-hour nap in the afternoon. Nice lunch with the family somewhere in between mindless TV and the napster.

Monday - Laundry, vaccum, cleaned room, cleaned bathroom. Fourth of July Fireworks at 9:30pm!

You can see the pattern right? Come on, of course you do. Fun first, chores last. Always.

Dear Long Weekend - Come back!

Top of the Rock

Last weekend, I took SE to Top of The Rock to for her birthday. Though I have been on the observatory deck of the Empire State Building before, Top of the Rock was something else. 

I mean, if you are on top of the Empire State, it's hard to... well, see the Empire State as a part of the concrete jungle that is New York City! Top of the Rock is unique in that it gives you the fullscape view of upper and lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Upstate NY, Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, Palisades, Northern Jersey, and a lot more.

After Top of the Rock, the evening was made better by stuffing ourselves with decadent desserts at Max Brenner and then lazing around at the Newport Waterfront, gazing at the same NYC skyline which we saw top-down a few hours earlier. Somehow, that day, I realized that it (literally) took a whole another level to appreciate a city that's been a part of my life for the last decade.

Some memories-in-snaps from the day -

Empire State Building and Midtown/Downtown Manhattan

Uptown Manhattan and Central Park