a hearty embrace

I was particularly grinning on the way back home as Padargad fort felt like one big embrace. Each time I have climbed up a mountain, the breeze has made me feel like the mountain hugging me. But, Padargadh feels like the mountain has embraced and crunched you so hard that you are almost trying to escape it from the middle.

I have never felt so close to a mountain before. We pulled ourselves up from in between rocks that are strongly held from two huge mountains on both sides. Could receiving a hearty embrace from a mountain have any other physical meaning?

The second weekend of January, and I am on the way for the second trek for the year, dream or what? The day did feel like one. I wasn’t expecting it to be a trekking day at all, and it turned out to be one of the finest…

Saturday was heavy workwise, I came back home and yet was working till late afternoon. Finally, brain drained and I slept for a while. I got up to realize I had a school reunion to attend and work was incomplete still. In a fix what to do, I got ready and left.

I love the school I belong to. It has given me the basis of my being. But I am also a person who doesn’t live in the past. I learn from stuff and then let go, try to make the now better. Clearly whatever I had to learn from school was done and reunion in my process system is something I could easily skip.

Yet I had a feeling I should go for it, just to know and feel that we are all sailing in the same boat, struggling, figuring life out. And that did happen, each person I met had chosen paths and were onto their own journeys of figuring life out.

I had fewer drinks so as to be able to be on the trek the next day. Yet, I was tipsy. I came home, completed my work in hangover and slept. Head aching and spinning I headed for the trek.

I love Mufasa rides. (Sanish’s Royal Enfield) I have had a certain heart for bike rides and it has only grown since Mufasa came into our lives about two and a half years ago.

As we rode till this amazing Mirchi Vada Pav place on the way, the ride made my head spin more. But the vada pav calmed me down. I haven’t had a better Vada Pav ever. It had the usual groundnut chutney, the green theccha, along with mirchi bhaji as a compliment with the Vada Pav plate. Mirchi Vada Pav in Neral is the place to be for any foodie or specific Vada Pav lover!

We reached the base village Khandas, parked all rides and began our trek. My head wasn’t still stable, I hate the way my body functions after each drunk night. It makes me regret drinking. But, as usual, the mountains made me feel better.

padargad 1 — smallness redefined | Credits: Parag Rane

The first few minutes of the walk up was quiet. It was weird because the trek mate I was walking with wasn’t the one with whom I ever walk quietly. Perhaps both our nights before were immensely hard and our bodies were trying to adjust being in the mountains.

Soon through trial and error, we reached the first chimney patch of the Padargad fort. I don’t know how to explain it rightly – the chimney is a tiny passage to move up where you have to pull yourself up with a few grips only. It requires mental ability to decide which grip to hold on to and of course some physical capability to pull oneself upon such tentative grips.

There is a way to climb up a chimney pass, you can check so on many videos available online. But that is not how I climbed it up. Thanks to my smallness, it turned out to just another pull myself up kind of passage.

If for me my smallness helped, for Sanish his hugeness helped. He used this lower body strength to secure grips and climbed up. I have no idea what the right way to climb up a chimney is, but all five of us climbed the passage up in our unique ways.

Soon, we reached the next chimney passage. This was even tinier with slippery mud below. I climbed up first like the last patch and took the bags of everyone up. Looking at how thoughtfully each one of my trek mates came up I realized how there is no right way to climb up a mountain ever.

Now, the next hurdle was a curvy rock patch. It has all grips on the right side and has the steep side to the left. It isn’t difficult or risky, just the curve makes it look like it’s an invitation to death.

Five of us climbed that up quickly, reached the top of the fort to the caves. Ate there finally and had a good nap. Post which we began to descend. Since we had seen the struggle on the way up, we thought it would be a task to get down. But, to our surprise, we descended all patches soon.

I think this was by far the finest efforts by our group to manage a trek as such with difficult patches. We used a rope while getting down effectively. It helped us and didn’t eat up our time. It felt like the full day was written down precisely and all group members knew their roles by heart and just followed it all step by step.

If only each trek would give such a precision feeling! But, at least this one did. On the way down, I walked with the same trek mate I began the trek with. This time we couldn’t stop jabbering. We met after a long time and there was so much information to be exchanged.

We reached down, rode to Kasheli village ate and left. I still couldn’t believe that it was my second trek for the year already and Mufasa ride was making it feel more dreamy. I reached home and had one of the most peaceful bedtimes for the year so far.

some feelings are hard to express and even harder to write down. this hearty embrace was a full day of such feelings. @nisha_navgire anytime to exchange more stories.

January 13, 2020

power of passion

This was the second time I was going to be with the mountains with only one trek partner. Like the last time, I was prepped to feel like I’ll miss people, but to my astonishment, I didn’t.

I have grown as a person and as a trekker. Though 2019 didn’t give me enough treks, it gave me all unique experiences. It was a year with only one trek with my dearest trek mate, so many without the souls I would have loved to trek around. I even had a few treks with unwanted crowds. Each of them bit by bit moulded me into a patient being, into a better trekker.

‘This year, one two or many, whoever is free, goes and visits the mountains, end of story’ I said to my brother just before he called and cancelled for this trek. I was in a fix as to what to do, but nonetheless, I had one trek partner, a plan and decided to visit the mountains, no matter what.

Till 2 pm at night two of us were planning what to do, where to go. I had a long day and was dead tired. I didn’t even think I would wake up sane to be able to pull out a trekking day. But I did get up and reached in time as we took Indrayani Express from Kalyan.

We got to sit at the door. Jabbering with my only trek partner for the day, I didn’t realize when we reached Kamshet. We ate breakfast and took our bus to Tikona fort. It was a typical state transport ride as we felt each and every bump on the road.

My trek partner had been to this fort last Sunday itself, if we had more time, we would have planned to visit some other place. He said that we’ll see some spots he missed last time. In my head it didn’t fit well, I wished his day to not be a duplicate like last Sunday.

There was little I could do about it until I heard a local say that there is public transport to Tung if we are able to finish Tikona in two hours. Challenge accepted, we started this trek with a little extra effort to try and finish it within the set time, plus not missing anything.

Tikona fort feels touristy like any other accessible fort, yet it had a spark that made a special place in my heart. There is an aura in its structure that made me ignore the madness of the tourists around. The remains of the structure are well maintained which helped my imagination of life back then.

We reached the top and sat on a spot peacefully. I soaked the sanity for a few seconds when someone tapped us and said: “Who will take the responsibility of your death if you fall off from here?” I had no answer to that, I got up, and we walked to a different place and sat. I observed the man who asked us this question.

He was a caretaker of the fort. He and his friend, make sure that they have a count of the number of people that come to this fort and make sure they are safe and don’t do any stupidity that could cost them their lives.

Talking more with my trek partner I realized, these two are from the village nearby and do this for an extra income over their farmlands. Nobody asked them to do it, to take care of a fort in their vicinity, they started doing it and now someone pays them to do it too.

view from tikona — how much of this view has changed since this fort was made?

“I don’t intend for my child to get into protecting this fort, it will be his wish, but until I am alive, I’ll make sure the beauty of this structure doesn’t witness the death of a soul” is one of the many inspiring things this man is being quoted saying.

I and my trek partner weren’t even that much close to an edge, yet he came and fired us. He doesn’t care if people feel hurt or whatever, he believes to do his part for preserving a historical structure and humanity at large.

When was the last time you did something out of the sheer passion to do it? When was the last time you removed time from your routine to do something that would impact the society at large? Or did you ever even think of doing something for you know it is right and the need of the hour?

This man, made these questions arise in my head to which I had to answers to. I mean in a world where we are slowly moving to complete devastation, in a new year where #worldwarIII gets trending, I met a man –

– who has made a living out of task he decided to do to improve something.
– who could have stuck to his work at the farm, perhaps left to some city nearby to earn better like the many other villagers, but instead, he decided to do this.

Feeling inspired, I walked quietly to the actual entrance of the fort which got ruined. My trek partner had missed this last Sunday. The caretaker had made me think so much that my jabbering had stopped, my trek partner kept guessing why.

We finished engraving all parts of the forts in our minds and the memories of our phones. We now realized that if we rush a little, we can actually reach in time for the bus to Tung. And so we did, we finished Tikona in two hours and were back in time.

The same local who said we would get the bus now said that don’t wait for it, walk ahead and began to hitchhike. We walked four kilometres ahead to a junction where one side goes to Tung and the other goes to Pune. Once we reached, we realized that there is not a bus for two hours straight.

Disheartened, we sat at the junction. My trek partner’s plan was to come and try for a mode of transport from here, if not head back home. My head wasn’t ready to process and accept it. I asked him what is the biggest challenge if we do Tung. He said to find a ride back and we might be home later than expected.

Something in me said, let’s go for it. By the time we did all this thinking, an hour had passed. I said, “We have an hour in hand, let’s eat lunch, take the bus, finish Tung and hope for the best.” The tone I said it in made my poor trek partner to just give in to my idea.

What if this bus we are waiting for doesn’t come? How would the hitchhike back from the fort be? How much risk are we talking with deciding to do this? And many such queries made us eat like breakfast at lunch. But, I am glad we ate something, it helped.

The bus did arrive. The one hour drive was even bumpier than morning yet I managed to take a nap. We reached and began our trek. If Tikona made a special place in my heart because of the structure and the caretaker, then Tung made me fall for it in other ways.

Thanks to my smallness, I was almost hugging each stone while climbing up. It is a continuous walk up through huge rocks. I was at this fort for the pure love of mountains and this climb was as if this mountain made me hug each rock of it. It was physically demanding, yet something in the both us kept us going.

When we finally reached the top and checked the time. We did it in half hour. We thought it would take an hour. It made us smile to think about how our bodies surprised us. Finally, we sat in peace for a while beside the temple at the top.

It was the moment of sanity I was wishing for the entire day. Tung is difficult and far and hence less touristy. After some quiet time, we realized, we were the only two people at the top of this fort. After the chaos of Tikona we had seen, this made our souls smile.

We took pictures to our heart’s content. I sang as usual out of the joy of actually making it here. I couldn’t stop singing, grinning. We both sat and engraved this beautiful Tung memory before we headed back down.

We almost ran down. I couldn’t stop grinning but a part of me was worried too. What next? Phase one done, now what? How and when will you be home? I sort of made my mind ready for a lot of walking and a hard time for phase two of this ‘let’s do Tung’ decision.

At the base of the fort, there is a beautiful banyan tree, we had decided to click pictures of once back. This tree is so huge, you almost take a round of it to begin the trek. As we were in awe of this beauty, two people walked and asked if we wished to eat. We said no but described our transport situation.

He dialled up two numbers and said, you don’t need to worry, we know this company vehicle, it will drop you till Lonavla. He asked us to go down and sit at his hotel while he joins us back in a while.

We found his hotel, ordered some tea and lime water. While we sipped our drinks quietly, we couldn’t believe what just happened. Are we really sorted? That’s it. I thought we would walk for hours, nothing, I couldn’t believe we were being so blessed.

We took the card of the owner, thanked him a trillion times and left. The ride was beautiful at the back of a small truck. It was full of clothes. We settled our bums on soft clothes and leaned back.

I played music on my phone. We sang and had a relaxing ride until Lonavla. It felt like a reward for the efforts of the entire day. It was so relieving and made me so unbelievably happy, I was dancing within!

The driver was as generous as the owner of that hotel. He refused to make money. Since we had a whole train journey back home, he even insisted to keep the money and not pay him at all. We paid him whatever we thought was good enough, thanked him and left.

We ate an early dinner and headed to the platform. We got Indrayani Express again as if this train only wished to end what it started for us today. It bought us safely back home. Thank you Indrayani Express for existing!

This day was passion-driven. Two passionate trekkers, mountain lovers created a beautiful adventurous memory. We met two passionate men, working towards the betterment of humanity.

I would end this post with a request. A request to think about what is it that you are truly passionate about? How much of you are you really investing in for this passion? This post clarifies the true meaning of passion. I hope that it gives you a good thought-provoking kick start for the year. @nisha_navgie on Insta to talk anything further.

January 6, 2020

Grateful for Growth’19

How did the year start? Where was I physically? Mentally? I am so into this phase of life that I just can’t go back in time to the start and find what I was up to, what was I doing. Thanks yet again to my journal entries, I did figure my full year’s journey.

The first fifteen days of Jan are a blur. Post that, I got a job and the rest of the days till date are also a blur. Basically, I floated through this year. I am not sure how I stuck through documenting it all in my journal but I am glad I did.

So, that’s the first sphere of growth this year – journaling. I have always had diaries. But, never did use venting emotions on paper as a benefit to me. This year, I used Youtube for the right reasons and productive journaling.

One thing which hasn’t improved much is my expressing skills apart from the written word. I haven’t spoken up when I should have. I have spoken shit when I shouldn’t have. I think this habit is getting better and better and I have faced much more humiliation this year for it. I don’t even have a plan on how to improve this, hoping for magic for once!

I have for sure improved a little in communicating with my friends. I found the trick to maintain my bond with people. In this modern-day chatting, calls are all that works for me. I have found my ‘Ek call pe sidhe-sidhe ane wale dost’ (if you don’t get this reference, you need to know me better)

This improvement could only happen thanks to the patience my friends have had. I have tried to make sure and meet my hearty ones. I have made sure to call a few, and the common WhatsApp has also worked in some cases to maintain precious bonds in my life. It can get better, I know I have missed out on a few people, but I’ll get there soon.

The biggest change from mid-2018 and this complete year has been sudden entrance and re-entrance of special people in my life. Not speaking many details of it here, just penning it here to say that these people have helped me be vulnerable, accept myself better, eat better and work towards my overall growth positively.

I am convinced that my blog quality didn’t improve this year. It went down or is stagnant I don’t know. But, I am not happy with my craft. I have been cranky and out of place because my words didn’t please me enough. I am planning to invest more time and finance in my blog next year, and hopefully will be proud of my weeklies next year.

‘You are done what two years in this organization?’

No, I’ll finish my first in Jan.

‘Oh it feels like you will enter your third or fourth’

This was said by my boss in a very astonishing tone. She didn’t believe me until I gave more details that I finish only a year. For me, this was shocking. This lady, as much as inspiring is also a tough one to be under. Appreciation is difficult to come out of her. This for me was like a milestone. More like a stepping stone already braced for going madder next year!

However, my workaholic nature made my travel self. I developed travel anxiousness. I have cried and worked in the office when my head was surely in the mountains. The first-year adulting, I screwed up. Mid-way through the year, I think I managed to get up and have a balance. Hopefully, I satisfy both sides of me.

Have I grown in terms of my family equations? Umm, tough one, I think yes, I am at a better space than before with all family members. Maybe not the go-to person for any member for anything, but at least I have begun to exist in their lives unlike being off completely.

I have grown mentally stronger this year, though I broke down completely more than once, I know I am past that now. Whatever next year will be, it will be tough to become better growth-wise year as 2019 nailed it with all the madness and sailing through it all positively.

@nisha_navgire on Insta to know more!

December 27, 2019

Grateful for Travel’19

I didn’t want to write this post. I travelled more in the past two years and compared to that, this year was a flop for me. But, I wouldn’t have begun blogging if I had given into comparisons. So, here is a pat on my back for travelling this year.

The year began with simple treks to Segawa and Ballalgarh. I loved the ride there. But it was astonishing how the trees that spoke history of the place. I can always drive back here only to hug the huge Baobab trees.

Next in line was the much-awaited trek to Vasota. We took the less taken route from Chorawne village. “Each time you rest while trekking, make sure you keep your knees straight. Bending knees while resting doesn’t rest your leg muscles.”

This piece of advice was given to me by the guide for this trek. He was one jolly human with loads of knowledge and experience. I am glad this useful piece of advice was received at the start of the year and it did help me trek better through the year.

Apart from him, my biggest take away from Vasota trek is the dense forest walk. I believe forests are magical. They tend to make you listen to your core self. In the whole year, I walked through many more jungles, but this one was a class apart and yes my favourite!

One of the architecturally mesmerizing trip I had this year was to places in and around Solapur. Few secret temples, some magnificent wells and much more. Unlike my usual feeling, this trip did make me proud to have born to be born as a human especially in a state as such where many sharp minds carved history!

When I walk through a forest at night, I feel the fear of the people I walk with. But, our mixture of excitement and determination to trek just overcomes fear and we find our way to the top. Apart from this, the dark adds some creepy creatures that add to the beauty of the forest.

I have had two-night treks and I have cherished both. Last year it was to Chanderi and this time it was to Nanheghat. We walked down from Nanheghat the next morning from a different route and that too was a thrill on its own – to find a route back down which no one has ever been from! Yes, I am extremely grateful for this trip!

I have written one big blog and mentioned this trip several times in the blogs after. I can never be enough thankful for this trip, the place, everything. Thank You Aurangabad is hands down my favourite trip of this year. My eyes swell each time I read and re-journey this trip.

The monsoon lasted for longer this year and I did manage to have a few treks. Being a pluviophile, monsoon treks is what I look out for the entire year. Kohoj and Ganpati Gadad were two great treks but my favourite has to be to Mordhan.

It did feel like walking through a day in heaven. The remarkable climb, the majestic feel of the whole mountain, the lushing grass and dancing flowers – can’t stop grinning when I think of this one!

Leave alone the world full of trekkers and travellers, when compared to my past two years, this year’s travel didn’t even reach half of it. Yet, every single trip was unique and fulfilling in its own way. My personal journey as a traveller has improved thanks to this not so perfect travel year.

I have gained more patience in dealing with people and dealing with travel anxiety. I have managed to keep my travel going in spite of my work and study priorities. I have realized it is high time that I become travel independent and learn to drive, learn to memorize directions to travel with anyone or perhaps alone. That’s my motto for the 2020 travel time. All the best to me!

@nisha_navgire on Insta for any further conversations!

December 27, 2019

Grateful for People 2010-2019

I have difficulty staying in touch with people, or to make people stay in my life. Flowing through this decade I figured that, people who are meant to be stick through our lives no matter how many rocks the flow with them hits.

This post is another one in my gratitude series appreciating the existence of these few people I am glad to have come across. I bond with each of them differently, each plays an important part in the person I am today.

The Crazy Old Man

Last evening, as he stood at the podium, speak about the forty years’ journey of the Nature Club, his grin was remarkable. Post the launch of the book Living Nature, as I was waiting for my turn to get it signed by Sir, I noticed how he wasn’t satisfied. For his conversations with everyone around still was about so many more tasks to be done.

I have been cribbing in my journal and a few closed ones about how life is getting tougher each day. How I am feeling difficult to cope with things. I almost completely withdrew myself socially. I don’t talk to more than five people in a week apart from the ones I have to for work, which is again not more than ten.

But, this introvert old man has achieved another feat amidst managing I don’t know how many roles and responsibilities. I felt ashamed, I felt stupid for the way my brain was functioning for the past few days.

I came back home and wrote down stuff to be done and practical goals for the week which I have been avoiding for the past months under the name of time and other excuses. It is easy to lose track. It is equally easy to get back in lane thanks to the existence of this old human.

Could I be a better human without coming across this crazy professor five years ago? I don’t think so. I have a separate post where I have listed a few things among the zillion things I picked up from him. Read that here.

School Friend #1

It would have been easier to write their names but I am an awkward person, I don’t know if they read this post and get back to me how I will react. So this person exists in my life now for exactly a decade.

We met in school in the 9^th grade back in 2010. From that day to this, we have had a roller coaster ride. I am still in disbelief that we are in touch. Like how? How did we manage to retain our unique bond amongst the madness we were going through?

No one can beat Sir’s contribution in my life and it was unfair to even add more people to a list where he exists but the point is the bond with this friend has given me the biggest life lesson – that time is the best healer.

We had the best bond during school days. But, after junior college, there came a time where we faced situations that crated a bump in our ride. I was convinced that would be the end of everything we ever shared, but it didn’t.

After a few years, like mature individuals, we got through it. We at present share the same unique bond we did back in the day. She reminds me to stay in touch with my creative side, our conversations are in general pushing in each other towards things we love to do.

Like the other people I stay in touch with in life, I don’t meet her as often I should. I don’t even chat as much. But, whenever we do, it is meaningful and how. I am a believer in time as a healer because of this ride I have had with her.

They say old friends are like mirrors, truly so, I am glad I am entering the new decade with her as a friend. It is a different kind of pleasure to have a human mirror in your life. It helps to show growth and pushes to be better.

School Friend #2

Not taking the name of this person either for a similar reason too. This boy has always existed in my life. Like not for a decade, but for as old as I am. We know each other since we both are alive. We have many shared childhood experiences.

Out of the many people I share childhood memories with. He is the only one I am taking into the next decade as a friend. And that’s exactly why our bond is special to me. I am still not sure what has made us share the bond we do, because we are poles apart as people.

I have always liked speaking to him purely for the reason that he has lived a screwed up life than mine. It made me have more faith in mine and keep going. Now, the reason hasn’t changed much, but I have more empathy and try to help than feel good about his misery.

I think we both have taken comfort in each other’s misery. We are weird that way. We have also tried our best to be there to care for the other and to help them sail through some big hurdle.

He is the easiest person I have ever bonded with. I literally speak anything and everything to him and so does he. He is the super opposite of what I am. I am an over thinker and he is easy going. He does sometimes think and has his panic moments, but more often than not he is in a world of complete bliss.

One, he is the sole reason I believe that I can try and have people in my life if I truly make efforts. Two, I like how his presence helps me breathe, keeps me cool, reassures in the positive side of life and reminds me of how not everything is in our hands.

In their own way, these people have taught me and remind me of important life lessons. I am grateful for their existence and even joyful about being able to have them part of the new decade alongside me as my strong support system.

@nisha_navgire on Insta to more about these beautiful people.

December 15, 2019

how to get the best of you

I was trying to make a ‘How to’ post for long, only to realize for such a post, one must thoroughly know about each aspect of the topic. I am in the process of learning many things and am not a master yet in them to write a ‘How to’ post full of information.

But, in the process of learning so many things, I have figured one thing is common – morning. I do a max of my reflection journaling, preparing pending task lists, blog ideating amongst the rest in the morning. Over everything that I have grown as, something constant in me is, being a morning person.

Let’s first understand what it means to say that someone is a morning person – a person who gets up early in the morning and sleeps at a decent time at night. Now the next question is, does it really matter if you are a morning person?

People admire the big CEOs and look forward to how they live and work. Turns out, many top-level employees stated in research from a few years back start their day early. They tend to have a morning to plan and set the tone of the day.

But should this be a reason for one to be a morning person? No. I do not like this conversational battle I came across online of morning larks vs night owls. Each person has a body clock which they should respect. As far as the planning and work are in place, it shouldn’t matter which side of the coin you belong to.

Further, reading more about body clock, many types of research also state that it is hereditary. So if you are someone who hasn’t been able to become a night or a morning person even after a zillion efforts, kindly check how your parents are. More likely, your body clocks match.

I have observed this each time I am at a friend’s place for a night out. The entire family has a pattern of what time they eat, sleep and get up. For example, each of them have dinner together at 9pm when all are home, they watch TV together and sleep around 11pm. No one wakes up before 6am the next day.

Now this doesn’t match with what I have been used to at my house. We eat by 8pm and doze off before 10pm. We are all up, done with tea and set for the day by 7am. For me hence, even to stay awake till 12 even for my own birthday is a struggle, leave alone staying awake for anyone else!!

This is why, I would suggest to not force your body to change the way it functions. Respect the way your body functions already and get the best out of yourself. Following are the little things to keep a track of which I think will help to get the best out of you-

Sleep: Enough rest for the body is essential for its accurate functioning. Life has become easy today. Use the internet for the right reasons. Go now and check the minimum hours of sleep required for the body at your age and make sure you sleep that much. Give your body what it needs and it will help you excel at things you need to.

Plan: I believe in planning, yes I love on spot surprises but more often than not, planning the day, the week or even the biggest task on the list helps me be calm. I have wasted hours and lots of money as well because I didn’t think and plan some tasks well. Doesn’t matter if you plan in the morning or at night, but to put a little head into tasks you are expected to do can go a long way.

To get the best of you, you should treat your body the best of everything.
I am a morning person since forever and will always be.
Dm on Insta @nisha_navgire to any further tips!

December 7, 2019

Grateful for People’19

I did this grateful series last year and would like to add to it. I feel blessed to have witnessed journeys and to have come across many thoughtful souls this year. I read through my grateful reflections in my journal to gather all the learning from these people…

If you don’t already, I would suggest you to, begin journaling. A simple book where you pen down if not anything, at least this one page – “I am grateful for”.

If not in a book, in your mobile notes, or on your computer file, make this one document and keep coming back to it at the end of the month to jot down names and stories of people who made a difference.

“I have a small kid at home, a family to look after, yet with confidence, I can say that I can, not just excel at my own tasks but do the work of all of you, not just do but do it far better than how you all do it”

The above statement is from the Head of the Department I belong to in my organization. After my mother, she is the next inspirational working woman I’ve come across. It is crazy how well she manages the crazy bunch that we all are who are under her and the life beyond.

Apart from this, I believe a true leader is someone who keeps the spirits positive amidst the negativity and struggles of work life. This lady has all of us stuck in the team like glue and made us work harder than any hard glue!

I love how she manages to keep our spirits high and keeps us going even during the most negative phases. It is definitely a skill to have. I can’t thank her enough to help me on many personal occasions when I struggled with work-life balance!

I don’t know if I can ever be a person who keeps the spirit of everyone around joyful, but each time I feel I can’t do this work-study life balance anymore, I look at her and tell myself to stop making excuses. I push myself harder when I look at her at it and at it strongly each day.

At the beginning of this year, we did a very famous and difficult trek as per people on the internet to Vasota. On this trip apart from our usual gang, there were a few newbies. We were all in sync but one of the newbies was struggling at the back.

At many points, we felt as if this guy would give up, but he didn’t. He completed the entire trek. I have always had it easy. Apart from when I have pushed myself and travelled sick, I don’t remember struggling to complete a trek when fit.

I don’t relate to his struggle, but I relate to the journey of not giving up. To keep going at something that is so challenging to you physically and completing it is definitely a blissful feeling. I feel so each time I ate a sweet this year, or pushed myself to healthier eatables and kept at my personal struggle to gain weight.

The best part of this person wasn’t just the completion of that trek at the start of the year. But, now towards the end of this year, I think he has had his own little growth as a trekker. I can totally see him now as one of us, the regular trekkers!

I hope one day or some year I see such strong growth in me, from being what I am now to becoming a healthier version of me. I am very grateful to have witnessed this person’s growth journey this year, pushes me to keep trying more.

“Do things for people, not because of who they are, or what they do but because of who you are” – Harold Kushner

Yes, I agree, day by day, the world outside is only getting worse. Each day, something new comes up to help us feel low about, and push us to lose faith in humanity. But this shouldn’t be a reason for you to become any less kind.

I met DK Salian this year and he made me believe in the power of kindness. He made me believe that we still live in a world where we can reach out to anyone on the street for help and receive it too.

Though I am struggling to be more kind to myself, I have made it a point to reach out and be there for people in need. This little change from the mid-year has made me more content as a person.

From writing letters to strangers on the street, helping oldies cross the street, feeding hungry dogs and much more such acts are added in my journal under things that made me happy. I am in the process as I always say to become the best version me and DK Salian just helped me notch it up!

@nisha_navgire on Insta to chat up about any idea further.

December 7, 2019

Have I become a better person?

Am I better than what I was a decade ago? I strive to believe so. It was a challenge to find proof for this belief. But here’s my attempt…

Less Mean | More Kind

The first thing I did was to read my journal entries from 2010 to date. And oh boy! I was mean and how. Like, I have definitely grown and am totally not that mean girl writing that diary back then. I wonder why I was so, was it a defence mechanism to keep people at bay or perhaps just brutally honest. Luckily, not so anymore, uff!

The last five years of this decade can say were the toughest. Out of college, figuring what to do, finding some ground has definitely helped to be more kind. I have not yet learned to be kind to myself much. I push myself way too much (right now juggling between study, work, blog and travel cravings).

I am not happy with me too soon which made it tougher to be happy or kinder towards others. But this is in process. Over this decade, I met many struggling boats like mine and it is now easier to be kinder to self and people around.

Less Anxious | More Honest

I believe more than half the decade I spent thinking about what next? After 10^th what next? After 12^th what next? After graduation what next? Now at point thinking, after Masters what next? Only to realize it is a pointless thought. Whatever next is already awaiting to accept me, I need to calm and focus on the now…

It is easy to write this looking back at the decade. But, it was a challenge to deal with the chaos in my mind back then. Each student, each child goes through all of what I went through, I didn’t face anything new. Yet, sailing through these last years of complete anxiety feels like an achievement to me.

I have managed to become more honest and practical. I tell myself the worst possibilities and do best at what is at my hand. This was tough at the start but now this is the mantra I follow.

Less Judgemental | More Accepting

Who hasn’t had favourites and non-favourites about anything and everything since school? From favourite cartoon shows to favourite tv shows and series, the journey of favouritism has come a long way. But there is a difference…

I have lived more like- ‘my way or the high way’ attitude for the first five years of this decade. I talked, got along with only fewer people and lived in a cocoon. Thanks to everyone I have met in my senior college (Wilson College) that helped me shape and become more accepting.

I learned to live with and get along and even work with people I don’t have a single thing in common. Mutual respect and accepting the existence of one another learned in college is helping me survive at work these days. Yes, at times I wish to kill some people, but I am managing and processing to get better.

The bigger challenge was also to accept me. I have changed in a zillion ways to. It is not easy to accept change as a reality. So many things changed over the decade, the coming decade promises so much more, changes in me, changes of everything around me…

Tough but not impossible, I have survived the decade with a smile and have grown immensely, am now totally braced up for what’s next! DM @nisha_navgire for sharing your decade of growth stories.

November 27, 2019

unfinished chapter

I got up when it was still dark outside and the moon was the only light. The moment I was to walk up the stairs, two healthy cats greeted me good morning. Like typical cats, they took their free massage and left. I finally walked up to the terrace and did what I was craving for the entire night…

The moon was right above my head so I lied down. I conversed with the moon about the night, about everything that was itching me for weeks. After a good half hour of conversation, I felt awakened and it was time to wake the rest for the trek.

We began to climb at six to be able to see the huge ball of gas rise from the back of the mountains. In the hope to see the typical childhood drawing come alive, four of us reached the top of Shrivardhan fort on time.

sunrise — It was the golden hour when we reached and each frame in-sight was worth engraving in memory.

After spending some delightful time with the sun, we began exploring the architectural marvel. The spread of Shrivardhan fort has many water tanks, remains of rooms and temples which indicated that people did have quite a living back then.

Each time I am at the top of a Sahyadri fort, this is what happens, I feel like I have time travelled. I keep going to the dreamland of the time and then back to the reality of only ruins now.

The Gomukh Darwaza is one structure which mesmerized me. We walked past one side and saw the beauty. When we were to walk up the other side, I took a detour and walked by the edges and climbed up on the corner wall and sat there. The view was pristine and the breeze calming.

I requested the two friends with me to join me. Three of us sat there for a while observing the silence and magic of the place.

In a while, we began to descend this fort in order to climb the fort right beside – Manoranjan. At the base of this fort, there are carvings of gods and goddesses, one small canyon and another broken one. Perhaps all of these were found around the fort and have been collected and kept at the base.

The climb to Manoranjan isn’t much, but the view is beautiful. I loved walking through the many beautiful trees and flowers I saw around this fort. I wonder if it was this beautiful or even more at the time…

mysterious trees.jpg — I wonder if these trees witnessed the living back then…

We finished exploring this fort and reached in time for breakfast, after which we soon began our walk down. But before we were on our way back, I connected to one paavam human.

It was this old lady whose house we stayed in. I don’t know what it is with me and grannies, I somehow connect. She opened up about her life and I sat listening to her carefully. It is at such times during travel that makes me realize to respect the life I have more.

one with the paavam lady — We took a group picture with her before we left

I ran parts of the walk down with Sanish, and didn’t realize when we reached Kondana Caves. This cave is another piece of architecture which has the power to force you to think of the crazy life back then.

Soon, we walked further down and reached the base village. While we were deciding the mode of commute to Karjat, I spotted a beautiful tree and climbed it. It is like an easy thrill I love doing. Sitting and feeling like a cat or squirrel at the top of a tree is a weirdly satisfying feeling.

tree top.jpg — Sitting and feeling like a cat or squirrel at the top of a tree is a weirdly satisfying feeling.

Now we decided to spend some time at the river near by. After such an enriching day, could life get any better? I dropped in joy, walked in it and kept splashing it all away.

This trek to Rajmachi almost checked off everything on my little list that gives my trek a complete feeling. Conversation with the moon, morning greeting by the sun, hugging and climbing beautiful trees, snaps by some pretty flowers and insects, cherishing the mountain water nimbu-pani, dipping myself in the flowing joy and last but not the least, petting the mountain dogs!

There is one more thing I do in the mountains but I didn’t this time, though there were opportunities to do so. It is dancing to London Thumakda. I missed Sanish, my dance partner for the same. We weren’t at the top of any fort together this time. I still am not sure why we planned this way. But, its good to leave some boxes empty to be ticked next time.

Some treks experience to be put on paper feel like a never-ending chapter.
There is much more learning that Rajmachi gave me.
Will the coming posts reflect it? Maybe…

November 20, 2019

A day in the life of…

I had an identity crisis the moment I began to pen down this post. I have read this popular lifestyle post title for long. I wished to write it many times. But, I always gave up the idea because the post demands asking and answering difficult questions.

I have read interesting posts under this title, the basic need of such a post is an identity. A day in the life of – a celeb, a footballer, a coach, a mentor, a mother and many such interesting titles I have fed my mind. Post ideas are easy to find but, how and where do I find my identity?

In the morning, the first thing I am is a daughter. I don’t know how good or bad, but I know not a torturous one. But, a day in the life of a daughter like me can be a sad post. I don’t do much for mom. I hardly help in chores and am off the house maximum times on weekends.

The next thing I am is a local commute traveller. Be it auto-rickshaws or local trains, I am sometimes kind and at times too much in my own pool of thoughts, books and music that I’ll give no damn about fellow companions.

And then I am a co-worker to people. I don’t have any assumptions also on this one. This identity of me as a person to work with, I don’t know. I haven’t had reviews on this and I am scared to get them too. Let’s just say this side of me I haven’t explored much either.

I am a social worker by profession. I’ll soon have a master’s degree in the same. And more than a co-worker, I am glad I can identify with the social worker side of me. Each day I spend and see the slightest change, I feel proud that I am adding my drop to the ocean. Since, the experience as a social worker isn’t much yet, can’t write more about it.

On weekends I am much more than the above. Suddenly, I am a writer, blogger, reader, trekker and even a person who belongs to a family and a set of friends. Like a volcano of identities erupt of me on weekends.

I identify myself as a writer from the time I have learned to write essays way back in school. This part of me enjoys the pen, paper and mind connection. I get clarity of things when they are on paper. I love to find pens, books etc to keep the joy flowing.

I can’t only be a person who works and does nothing else. My blog gives me my personal touch. It tells me what I am, post the work I am into. It gives me reassurance than even if everything falls apart during the week, I’ll write it out and stand up tall against all odds again.

I am a moody reader. I might read many books at a stretch and go months without a sing article for a month. I hope to get better at this side of me. I hope to get as regular a reader as I am as a blogger. I don’t know how, but figuring this out is a next big target on my list.

Oh! How I love being in nature! I completely have surrendered myself to nature. It has control over me like no other. I have a sad day and I look at moonshine through the train window and I smile, automatically the day is undone.

I have an even tougher week and I embrace a mountain that weekend and aha as if life was always easy. I don’t know how and when did I become this close to nature and how I bestowed this power in it to heal me, I am only glad of this part of me and I know for sure this won’t ever change.

I am a terrible friend. Out of all the above identities, this one I am hundred per cent sure of. More often than not I won’t be available on call. I will hardly text. I am moody and I love my own company way too much to give a shit about people’s life.

Yes, I am still human and have my social needs which I fulfil with a few phone calls once or twice in three months to a few humans. Or I manage to meet a few other humans over lunch and dinner. That’s all. This is why I feel it will soon be time that I’ll be declared as an animal with no social needs and be sent to live in a jungle!

I think I am a similar family person as I am a friend. Apart from mom, there is no other family person I talk to daily. I talk with a few family members every weekend or at least once in the whole week, but that’s all.

I am truly grateful for the few friends and family people who stick through my non-sense. It’s the end of the post but I still don’t have an answer to my header, a day in the life of… Do you? What do you think I am? Or, maybe try to answer what do you think you are?

Leave answers in comments or let’s chat up on Insta @nisha_navgire

November 12, 2019