"So where are you going for the holidays this year?" That has been the question, that I've been asked innumerable times, over the past few weeks.🤔
The month of May is generally associated with summer holidays, family trips, outings with friends, picnics, etc. I remember spending long holidays in Goa as a child, year after year, during this time.
Some of my 'fondest memories', are of the times I've spent in Goa, with my grandparents and extended family. I remember so many little things, from back then. Playing around in my grandfather's huge house, enjoying the sweet fruits-fresh from the trees, collecting the dried leaves, sitting by the river and watching the barges pass by, going across the river in the ferry boat, dipping my feet in the pond and walking through the fields...
There are so many countless things that I can remember. They are the moments that made holidays during my childhood days memorable. Those long holidays in Goa are among my most cherished childhood memories.✨️❤️
It has always been my wish, to visit as many parts of India as I can, to discover the beauty and variety that exists, in our wonderful nation.
Over the past decade, I have been extremely fortunate, to fulfill this desire. I have been blessed with so many opportunities, to travel with my boys at school, and to discover India with them. Each and every one of those trips has been a 'learning experience'.
As I look through the photographs, from the many trips I've been on, the wonderful memories are refreshed. I can remember so many moments, jokes, funny situations, memorable incidents, the beauty of the places themselves, the journey by train, the long bus rides, games, formation of teams, camp-fires and so much more.
I miss all my ex-students, who used to accompany us on those trips regularly. Although they've passed out of school and moved on in life, the memories of the good times, spent on school trips with them, continue to live on in my heart. I guess those memories will stay with me forever.😊
Unfortunately, I do not have any holiday planned for these vacations; and somehow, there seems to be a vacuum. It seems like something is missing. Even though, most of my school trips do not happen during these holidays, it still feels like something is missing.😔
And so, I've been looking through old albums of previous holidays, and re-living the moments over the past week. Every single photograph, has a memory attached to it. So many pictures, bring a smile to my face.
I remember places, people, past Principals, teachers who've left our institution, ex-students, tour escorts from all the years gone by, experiences, situations, moments...
...and as I think of all these beautiful memories, I say a very big Thank You to God, for every single one of these experiences. They've added so much depth, colour, joy and beauty to my life.
Each holiday has been a blessing. Every person who has been a co-traveller, has added so much to my life. I thank God for each of these experiences and I look forward to many more in the years to come.🙏✍️
