Life and learning (Gujarat Diaries)

(Here's a little drawing from one of the conference sessions. The motif on the top left was part of a pattern on someone's outfit and the one at the bottom right is my new friend from Gujarat!) 

Okay, we're back after a week's break and I do have a reasonable explanation for my absence. I went on a solo trip.

Even saying those words feels surreal to me because, although I have always imagined travelling alone to another place and living there, I certainly did not think I would be able to cross that off my list this year. Not even in my wildest dreams and certainly not in the way it happened.

However, the trip felt like a familiar place in my mind, even though I was in a different state altogether. From connecting with the loveliest people to staying by myself and visiting places, Gujarat was nothing short of nostalgic new things. All the people I met weren't new faces but old ones that I simply hadn't encountered yet.

While we learnt so much over the course of five days with people from across the country, I was glad to find warmth and comfort in the unknown. From paper presentations to book readings and sessions of learning to a dramatic reading, the whole conference itself was nothing short of memorable, and for that I am grateful.

To experience life by oneself is a privilege, and I'm glad that Gujarat was my first encounter with it. I bring back, in gratitude, slivers of coloured memories and the vividness of laughter, learning, and life.

PS: I think we have a travel vlog coming soon where we can really relive the whole experience together in a more intricate manner. I hope you'll look forward to it. Much love.

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