memories...

Hello everyone!! We’re back to namma bengaluru from New York and everyone’s been asking “how does it feel to be back??”

It always feels good to be back home. Yes, Bangalore is what I like to call home now :) When I came here in 2004 (it’s been almost 7 yrs!) it took me some time to start liking this city. I was still in the transition phase from college to work life and Hyderabad seemed anyday better than Bangalore. But it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the city - a metropolitan minus the madness of big cities! My first job, some lovely friends, marriage, first home (though rented but it still is home!) and now first car...there are lots of memories with the city. No wonder no other place comes even close when I think of settling down somewhere. Also sis and bro-in-law staying here was an added incentive to be back!

So here we are back after 3 years and it now feels like we had never left the city...it was just a short holiday trip and now we are back to the usual life. To think of it...it was an amazing holiday...probably my best till date!

I haven’t been missing NY as such but there are lots of lovely places and memories that do come to my mind whenever I think of the place.

--The wide multi-laned streets and highways with cars all around. Driving was so much fun there!

--New York skyline especially its view from our window.

--Broadway- just strolling on the street and watching various stores and people from all over is good enough to spend an entire day.

--Times square with lights all around. Almost all movies have some scene that reminds of the place.

--Window shopping on 5th avenue... all the high-end designer stores...their VM, display, merchandise everything is a must see.

--First few days of spring and people with all sorts of colorful clothing on streets. The excitement of spring coming after a long winter is there on all faces. In fact, the entire nation - from streets to stores to parks to trains - everything seems to celebrate the arrival of spring.

--Beach trips - the best part of summer :)

--Long days of summer - even the sun seems to celebrate summer and doesn’t want to set in!

--Fall colors - an entire color palette can be seen on a single tree! It’s the prettiest time of the year. People plan long trips just to enjoy the fall colors all around.

--Barren trees in winter - suddenly the trees seem to start preparing themselves for the long long winters by shedding all their leaves. One can’t imagine such colorful trees can turn so barren in just a month’s time. But that’s the way they survive the harsh winters.

--First snow showers - It is the best part of winters. Everyone comes out to play in the snow -making snowman, hitting each other with snowballs, just clicking pics...it’s so amazing!

--View from the window after snow - It feels no less than a dreamland...all trees, streets, houses, cars, everything covered in white.

--‘Snow days’ at work – this one’s silly but it gave the same high that we got during ‘rainy days’ in school ;)

--Though depressing but black and brown jackets on streets in winter. No other color could be seen during entire winter – just people covered in jackets, scarves, boots and even face masks!

--Holiday season- that was another fun part of winters with red n white all around. Return of 'josh' in people even in the crazy winter could be felt – thanksgiving, Christmas and the ‘holiday shopping’ associated with it.

--Christmas music on radio and long drives in winter just to listen to the music :)

--Lots of places nearby but best is Niagara falls – loved it so much that I had to dedicate an entire post to it!
The memories are endless and i can actually go on and on...but I guess I should stop here now...rest some other time :)
‘The world is a book and those who do not travel have read only a page!’ Now I can claim to have read at least a few pages ;)