The Real Struggle Of Planning A Trip ft. Rookie Mistakes To Avoid

Step 0 (Legit AF). Select destination or throw a dart on the world map? I prefer SkyScanner! They also have an option to search for flights anywhere in the world during a specific month. It's a boon for indecisive people like me hehe!

Step 1. Look for cheap flights/train tickets. Again, Skyscanner ftw. (Duh! Stating the obvious, Pragya)

Step 2. Contemplate how broke you really are, think about going somewhere cheaper.

Step 3. Cry. (Very important)

 

Monkey Keyboard GIF from Monkey GIFs

Step 4. Browse for discounts, check up all the various possible combinations achievable within a limited budget for the initially planned destination - Mamma didn't raise a quitter.

That Time When Ziro Valley Stole My Heart!

"This year is really about, like the year of just realizing stuff."

- Kylie Jenner

I never thought I'd quote any of the Kardashian-Jenner people (or the others) but here I am, doing exactly that. 2016 is a year that I'll probably look back at, in retrospect of course. It was a year of learning a lot of essential and valuable lessons about life - most importantly, the fact that all problems in life irrespective of the scale, are short-lived (wow I'm still whining since this post), 2016 was also the year that was quite successful in terms of my travels.

One of my favorite experiences was a short trip to Ziro Valley with my father. I'm especially grateful for this one particular trip which taught me how to appreciate simple and quality living over the fast and unnecessarily complicated lifestyle that we all are drowning ourselves into, which we don't even put much thought into, as a person living in a city. The trip was organised primarily for the research-work for my Architectural Dissertation, but I did learn a  lot more beyond that. Lastly, I also want to give credit to my late grandfather, without whom, we wouldn't have thought of going there anytime soon.

You see, places like these gently whisper to your soul, inviting you to an experience which evolve you into a greater human being, leaving you with lessons worth much more than a lifetime~

Lansdowne - A Weekend Getaway Story.

(A travelogue by Ayush Sood)

Ever been going along your day expecting nothing out of the ordinary to happen, just waiting for the day to end following the same daily rituals you always do - just to have a friend mess them up by handing you an offer you can't refuse?

That's how I ended up in Lansdowne.

Visual Diary: A Rashtrapati Bhawan Morning

On a fine Saturday morning, I remember coming back from a 4-5 day vacation with a terrible horrible-no good-screwed up sleep cycle. I had nothing to do that morning, really, NOTHING. I hate sitting idle and there couldn't be anything better for me, really.

I decided to go out, on an impromptu touristy adventure in my city. I left home sometime between 8 and 9 in the morning and boarded the metro. My experience of Central Secretariat metro station had not been very memorable, almost blurry because of the rush. I decided to hop off. I got out of Gate No.2 and started walking towards Raisina Hill, with only a slight hint of there being a Changing of Guard ceremony. The rest is a story of extreme people watching, chilling with on-duty policemen and a mild heart attack when I thought that I dropped my camera...

Homecoming

She's homesick.

Not Every Man Really Lives.

I'm a multi-potential person and as much as I like doing everything I do, I enjoy having this clarity and focus in life. I like the balance. Lately, I've been a lot more introspective about my life. I have realized a lot of things, some of them being -

1. If it feels like a liability, or obligatory for that matter, don't do it.

2. Trust and respect are earned, and you can't just hand it over to someone just because you want to.

3. There are some nice people, and some people are just plain pathetic. Just like Yin and Yang. Therefore, maintaining a balance.

4. Hugging trees feels great.

5. I don't care if the kind of music is 'too sober' or not so EDM-like. I like what I listen to, you should do too. Not really To each their own.

(Happy-Travel-Wanderlust-World) Playlist #1

What's up guyssssssss?

Why don't you guys like my long drawn out wordssssss?

Nooooo?

Pls don't go. I'll stop for now.

I'm not going to bore you guys with my occasional rant today, hopefully.

SO many people have asked me on Instagram and Snapchat about my 'World' music/ music I listen to while I travel. And since I don't have a particular set of songs specific to travel, I'm going to turn this into like a monthly/ once in two months thingy where I post my current favourites or any other interesting music which I like or has stories/memories associated to it.

I'll just post the Youtube videos down below and some trivial stuff, idk. Let's just begin.

1. Boshret Kheir - Hussain Al Jassmi

I love this song so much, it triggers every faint memory I have of my trip to the oh-so-stunning Egypt. Also, it makes me dance. Everytime.

2. Keiki O Ka 'Aina Stand Strong - Paul Izak
Just listen to this one, okay? You'll feel me.
#TreehuggersUnite #TheHippiesWereRight

Surviving the Delhi Book Fair!

"Hey! I have hoarding problems, nice to meet you!"

Happy New Year guys! *make some noise or not*
It's a little late, but not /too/ late, I hope?

How have you been lately? I've been cooking and travelling and relaxing for the most part of my vacations; and now I'm back to blogging for good. I've missed y'all a ton!

The Delhi Book Fair happened a couple of days ago, so I thought I'll give it a shot and check it out. I'm more of a Daryaganj Sunday Market person, so I thought I'll go for a 'quick' survey which for most part wasn't quick at all. tell you more about how I survived the fair without having a total burnout. Also I'm so smart for not taking notes of my favourite stalls, I'll a moment here to mock myself for it.

Anyway, sounds nice innit? Keep reading because these tips are 24k gold, I kid you not!

Here are some of my tips:
01. Get a sturdy bag or a backpack which won't hurt your back. I didn't (I carried a jhola) and now my shoulder, neck and back hurt a little.

Raspberry Soda, Kebabs & Custard: A Vegetarian’s Guide to Parsi Food

Are you a vegetarian? Do you ever feel left out because you’re made to sit in the so-called ‘Vegetarian’ corner of the table? Have you ever thought about what Parsi food tastes like but you never bothered because it is predominantly non-vegetarian? Oh well, you’re in the right place then. Gone are the days when, as a fellow Vegetarian, I would empathize with you.

First Things First

To help change bad eating habits/ due to ethical reasons/ living the saatvik lifestyle/ for the sake of ‘trying something different’, a lot of people have turned heads towards vegetarian and vegan diets.

For me, the most difficult was Parsi food. Although the cooking style is very accommodating and the same dish can be made using something vegetarian, it can be difficult to find restaurants serving much in the vegetarian section of the menu. Don’cha worry, I’ll help you guide through the Rustom’s Parsi Bhonu menu in a jiffy.

Udaipur in Five: What Not To Miss!

Rajasthan is one of my favourite states in India, it never fails to mesmerize me with its beautiful people, the grandeur in its architecture and the oh-so-delicious food. The city of lakes, Udaipur has by far been my favourite city there (I am looking at you, Puskhar and Bundi, don't disappoint me) is an absolute beauty! I am a history nerd to the core and Udaipur fed into my bloodstream making my experience very enriching indeed. Anyway, here are my top 5 places within the city which you just shouldn't miss out on when you visit the city.

1. City Palace

The most crowded of the bunch, the City Palace is the one stop nobody should miss out on. Best visited with a guide, the palace beautifully narrates the story of the city and the Sisodiya Dynasty of Mewar. About 1/3rd of the palace is open to the public and has a beautifully curated collection of items, while the rest acts as a private residence of Arvind Singh Mewar, successor to the throne of the erstwhile kingdom of Mewar. The palace has beautifully preserved murals and boasts of the prosperous kingdom that once was.

#BookTalk - Travels With Herdotus

THIS IS NOT A BOOK REVIEW.

There was this one time in college, when our first class in the morning got cancelled and all of us were asked to gather around in one of the studios for this presentation that a faculty of mine had to show us. I was glad and interested (because I was very late and could've possibly missed my class, and because I find presentations and seminars interesting, respectively). The presentation was about Travel, and I've always had the keeda (bug). I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and made quick notes for each and every word spoken during that period. I have this habit, you see. This happened about a year ago, or maybe two - I don't really remember.

A few weeks ago, I came across that very piece of paper with a few words scribbled here and there, a few random doodles and some quotes. Also with them was beautifully doodled 'Herodotus' and 'Travels With Herodotus - Rsyzard Kapuscinski' written besides it.

Ti/t

Airplanes are annoying, my skin starts to break. It's dry and sitting in the same darn seat or more than half an hour tires me and makes me cranky. The minute I hop on a flight, I anticipate getting off it as soon as possible. I hate it. I think of random things since I hate fiddling with my phone or working on my laptop. I don't like reading a book while on a plane cuz it makes me dizzy. I don't watch much movies, neither do I watch sitcoms and I'm coming about as a very weird person, I know. #SorryNotSorry

Just a random thought, I don't know why:

You know, when in an airplane during the descent under turbulent weather, the pilot has to tilt the plane and you're towards the side which tilts up? You expect to see the land, but instead you get to see the clouds and then that anticipation of looking at the land kills you, the plane tilts back. In a split of a second, all that you know, all that you've ever seen becomes miraculously beautiful.

Part perspective, part psychology - our minds are complicated things.

It's so vague, and I was trying to be introspective. We tend to take so many things for granted.

I hate flying, as much as I love airports.

I still take the window seat, I love window seats.

You feel me bruh?

A Sweet Summer Detox

Part 1

Dippin' toes at Kailua Beach.

"Where the hell are you and why the hell have you not been blogging?"

I've been getting this from a lot of you, recently.

I also know that a lot of you have noticed that I have been fairly active on Snapchat while balancing out on my equation by being MIA here on my blog and on Instagram. Let's take a moment here *sips on some tea*

No this is not a /facepalm. This is that heavy arm thing shark divers used to wear.

Dil Se Dilli (Part 2) - Paharganj

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
- Lao Tsu

Paharganj was a different experience for me altogether. I am no hipster; you would often find me saying that I belong to the wrong generation, but then again, that's my approach and perspective about things. I'm a person who believes in vibes, healing, aura and other things you can categorize as 'mystical'. I believe in self discovery to be the ultimate truth, for the only truth that exists for us is the truth about our own self.

Dil Se Dilli (Part 1) - Chandni Chowk

"From that day on, I started hanging out alone more. It felt nice. The first time is difficult but things always get better as long as you start."

I read this quote a few days ago on a blog. I never realized the fact that I could relate so much to it, until today that I actually sat down and pondered upon it. I am a very nostalgic person. Selective, of course. One can safely assume that my actions today are a manifestation drawn from an account of my experience with a certain something a few months ago. Also, apologies for being MIA, I had my exams, and I felt unproductive before that. Sigh.

The Delhi Metro Wrap Up

Picture Courtesy: Saloni Kohli

Before you read this, please not that this post has been written because I was bored and really had nothing to do at that point of time. It was written for the sake of fun and if you get offended easily then do yourself a favour and don't bother reading this. All views are mine and shared with a lot of people like you as well, so chill, okay?

All set?

A Day Long Delhi Getaway - Lal Gumbad, Sohna

A few months ago, I, along with a handful of my batch mates started off on a so-called 'road trip' to a place only a few knew of. (Thankfully, we saw a few pictures on the INTACH Haryana Listing and found its plan on the CSAAA website, so we knew what we were looking for).

The first glimpse of the complex.

Surprisingly, we had no way out but to - (1) Locate the monument, and (2) Make tonnes of observations and do what we do at a site. The final work was to be presented in another four days from then, so we had a little do or die situation over here.

So after a rather painful few hours of speaking to the locals, driving through unpaved beaten paths hoping that the car doesn't break down and, cursing at our luck and the other people who haven't yet left from our campus - We had finally made it to this beautiful domed compound, possibly built during Firoz Shah Tughlaq's reign.

Little Dharamsala: A Day At Majnu Ka Tila

People watching has always been my favorite thing to do, anywhere and everywhere – no, not in a creepy way. Very recently, ever since I started conducting photo walks in college, I have learnt to fully appreciate the art of people watching.

As a student of Architecture, the most important thing that we’ve been asked to do is to observe each and everything that makes up one’s habitat – to explore settlements unlike the one you’re familiar with and to absorb ourselves with the history, the food, the culture and most importantly the ‘heritage’ of the place.

101 (Things) in 1001 (Days)

Hello everyone! I am Pragya Shukla and I'm the person behind the words that you are currently reading.

For those of you who know me, I've had this blog for a long while (about 4 years now) and shared quite a strong love-hate relationship with it. A month and a half ago, I decided to pull it down and do something good about it - for real! Well anyway, that rant is for a different day altogether. This post was meant to be for the 101 in 1001 challenge, totally forgot!

For all those who know 101 in 1001, fantastic! For those of you who don't, (I'll cut it short) the 101 in 1001 Challenge or the Day Zero Project inspires you to set (and achieve) 101 short and long term goals in 1001 days. Since my sixth semester starts tomorrow, I'll be starting with my Day Zero Project from tomorrow itself.

Starting Date: January 11th, 2016

Ending Date: October 08th, 2018

As of now, here are the 101 things that are on my list: