Gratitude List – April 2018

Posted on by Parul Thakur

Oh April! I don’t know where to start. A month full of new experiences and things I love. Also a month of ups and downs reminding me that nothing stays forever. Situations change and we should be able to adjust and adapt.

To those who don’t know, I was on a vacation to the North East India during the first two weeks of April. Two weeks of being on the road and gaining new experiences all along. It was a great time for self-reflection and at the same time absorbing lessons that travel teaches.  Last two weeks of the month were all about getting back to life and work.

Ever since I started writing about things that made me happy, I am loving the spin it has brought in life. When I read my notebook, I see that there are patterns. It’s a fun discovery about my own personality.

Talking about things that I am grateful for this month, here is a list for you. Long but full of happiness and food.

♥  Road trips are about uncertainties. While we know the destination, we don’t know what the journey will bring. This month as we traveled from one place to the other, I am grateful that the journey was safe. Even when it snowed and rained and the roads twisted behind the mountains, the journey was beautiful and memorable.

♥  On a trip to a different part of India, we were lucky to get healthy and good food on all days. Where ever we stayed, we loved the simplicity of the food. In some places it was home-grown and in some, procured from the plains. Whether it was fish for me or aaloo paratha for VT, we never had to think about the quality of the food.

♥  Mother Nature and an opportunity to see it up close, once again. Mountains, rivers, water falls, trees, flowers, fruits and the jungle. I loved staying close to nature. I am grateful that after every travel, I wonder that India has so much to offer.

♥  Learning about Bukhari and that on a cold day, nothing beats eating a bowl of maggi around it. I am grateful that the place where we stayed in Tawang had a Bukhari and I loved the warmth it provided.

♥  In Cherrapunji, I spotted a board that said ”Dosas available”. Until that day, I hadn’t craved for food but after seeing that board all I wanted was Masala Dosa. I asked a few questions and learnt that the cook at the restaurant was trained in Bangalore. No wonder he was so good. I am grateful that Meghalaya did not let me miss my dose of dosa.

♥  Can you imagine a car in a boat? When we were going to Majuli, we had to load our car in the boat and since the boat was full, we sat in the car. It was strange sitting in a car but actually crossing a river. I am grateful that we were safe. Honestly speaking, strange are the ways in which India runs.

♥  VT and I are immensely grateful to SP who helped us with our stays in Shillong and Guwahati. Through him, we got to experience the life in two BSF campuses and their hospitality was beyond our expectations. The stories of valor and sacrifice we heard  there have left us inspired.

♥  This was our third trip with HVK after Ladakh and Rajasthan and we are grateful to him for all the support. Even though he was with us only virtually, we reached out to him almost every day. Whether it was a busted tyre or questions about safari and timings, he knew all and was kind enough to help. I know very few people who help others without any expectations.

♥  Just when I thought that the month was over and nothing more was going to come, I had two family members who came over. Sunday turned into a fun day with conversations and time together. I am grateful that when folks from home are around, they remember to call me and make an effort to come see us.

I believe in God but I am not some one can call religious. However, there is one thing I believe in. You visit a place of worship only when God summons you. Whether it was Ajmer Sheriff in December 2017 or Kamakhya Devi this time, we were lucky to be able to visit these places. It took us 90 mins for a darshan when people told us the average was four hours.

My list has so many more things that I don’t know how much to share. I will sign off with one thought. Choose a partner who makes you a better person. VT is one such guy. As much as we are different, the good thing is that he encourages and makes sure that I am comfortable. On our trek down and back up to the double-decker living root bridge, he kept on encouraging that we will be able to do it. Imagine 3500 steps down and all the way up. The result? We were able to wrap an arduous trek in four hours which included two breaks for food and multiple others to take a breath. He is sure my hero.

The weather is slowly changing in Bangalore and I am loving the on and off rains. It would be unfair to not talk about blogging. This month was one in 4 years when I hardly published any content.  I wrote a lot on my travel journal but nothing on this space. Before this lull becomes too big to handle, I need to get back with full rigor. Now that I am back, expect many photo posts and travel tales.

Tell me about your April. What were those highlights of the month?

Linking with Vidya’s Gratitude Circle for April 2018.

Like it , pin it!

35 thoughts on “Gratitude List – April 2018”

  4. I loved reading this post, Parul. Travel makes the journey much better when we have an awesome partner. I am learning this too. In our recent trip with our 11 month old, I learnt how considerate my hubby was during the trip as well.

    I am glad you had a great travel month, Parul. Wishing you more memorable moments in May!

    Like

    Reply

  5. Loved reading your post parul, north east is a beautiful place and so nice to know about your travel, sure its a blessing to have people who can guide us. I admire your passion, determination and courage to take risks, wishing you another great month.

    Like

    Reply

  6. What an amazing experience, Parul! Traveling and visiting new places sure is wonderful. So glad to know that VT takes such good care of you. 😊 I have lost all the zeal to travel, with kids I’m always worried about things that can go wrong. On the other hand, my husband can’t live without traveling. 😁
    Happy to see you back in this space, Parul! 😀

    Like

    Reply

  7. Wow such an amazing travel experience that was. It was great reading about these experiences. The car on the boat part was hilarious. I have been to Gangtok and the neighboring areas with my parents, Darjeeling and Shillong, too. That’s it. Apart from these places I haven’t been anywhere in North East. I sure want to go so many places. And congratulations on that trek- sounds so tough. 😀 Gratitude really changes the way we look at life.

    I have linked in my gratitude post too. 🙂 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  8. I have been following your travel experiences and I know how wonderful it has been. VT sure is a hero, I know that 🙂

    Choose a partner who makes you a better person – you couldn’t have said this any better, Parul. That’s what L is to me too.

    Let’s meet soon and talk about our travel experiences.

    Like

    Reply

  9. Glad you had a wonderful April with your soulmate, Parul. I enjoyed your instagram photos about your trip. I saw the Kamakhya temple way back in 1997 and after seeing your photos, wanted to visit again. Probably will make a trip Northeast sometime this year. Thanks for linking up and this wonderful post! I enjoyed reading your musings! And oh yes, that dosa! 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  10. Isn’t it amazing how much you’ve had to be grateful for in April?youve certainly had a packed month!
    Loved the travel anecdotes. I did catch the zoom car experience on Facebook and was horrified. Hopefully that’s bee sorted out?
    So cute about the dosa. You can take a woman out of bangalore but you can’t take the dosa craving out of her apparently 🙂

    Stay blessed and have a lovely May! You’re truly blessed to have VT in your life.

    Like

    Reply

  11. I loved the pics of your travel, Parul. North East is a place I really want to visit. I have a very dear friend there and seeing her would be such a joy too. Great that you and VT love to travel so much. You are my kind of couple. 😊 Have heard so much about that root bridge. Most be an amazing experience to trek. Wish you a lovely May, dear Parul.

    Like

    Reply

  12. Wow I have been seeing posts on this bridge and the ardous climb up and down for it – kudos for accomplishing that. Your travels have been just amazing this year Parul- major envy coming your way 😉
    Look forward to seeing some hippy happy travel posts from you soonest!

    Like

    Reply

  13. Still trying to imagine you sitting in a car in a boat! What a sight that must have been :-). You’ve had such a happily busy April. Travelling to the North East mustn’t have been easy yet it is the uncertainly that makes travel so exciting. Good to have you back Parul.

    Like

    Reply

  16. I love that saying Parul, “You visit a place of worship only when God summons you.” Tank you for sharing it. I will add this to my gratitude list. ❤

    Like

    Reply

  18. Sounds like a wonderful month…I followed your travels on insta and it seemed amazing. I love road trips and am looking forward to one myself in a short while. Glad to hear it was such an eventful month.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Vineeta Cancel reply