How it all ended and began

2015 had to be a mixed bag for me; Not great, not bad either. Nothing significant achieved or lost, professionally. On the personal front, the husband lost his father early this year. The F.i.L had been ailing for quite some time and while the end was not entirely unexpected, it still came as a sorrowful blow to the near and dear ones leaving an irreplaceable void.

Later in the year, I was to experience a different kind of void as another good friend of mine, M, moved abroad. The same city that seemed so promising and exciting a few years ago because of these friends who were actually extended family seemed empty and boring now with both of them moving to different countries within a span of two years.

Who would've thought that, after years of being spread out in different cities and countries during the years of education, work, and marriage, we'd converge in the same city, bearing children in the same age group, and to top it have the respective husbands get along with each other to regroup as one large family. Yet, this happened. And, we enjoyed while the party lasted.  Life throws strange coincidences at you and you're left wondering about how the bigger picture must seem to the player above who positions us at different angles, bringing us together and apart at various points in the game of life, all the while keeping the end a mystery and surprise. How amusing for Him!

Even as M settled in her new home, we were making plans to make the most of her relocation: by holidaying in her new country-Singapore! October appealed to both our families, then, since a good part of the kids' long holidays coincided. However, life is never simple and straightforward. Like the game of see-saw, circumstances on each side kept changing affecting our plans and finally we had to defer our trip. I saw Christmas holidays as the next best opportunity and was determined to see it happen.

Singapore had to be clubbed with another destination. It is the usual norm, no? However, I skipped the usual destination partners and chose Bali. A good blogger friend and my travel guru shared valuable tips and info about the must-see places and stay options in Bali, and with less than two months to go, I had all the bookings in place. In a pleasant turn of events at the last moment, M and her family also decided to join us to Bali, adding to the excitement. What fun the trip was to be! We decided to end our travel with a quick stopover at Mumbai, begin the New year like we have always done in the recent past, and then head back home, refreshed and rejuvenated!

Little did I know that the universe had conspired to end the year for us with a lot of drama. Our ride on the roller-coaster had only just begun. Before even I had commenced with the bookings, we realized that R's passport was to expire and needed immediate renewal if we were to travel in December. Thankfully, the process has been simplified and we got it done like a dream in just three days. Just as I thought things were moving, the husband announced that he might have to travel to the US; his travel dates and ours brushed too close for comfort. Providence played its part and the trip got cancelled. Phew! Then came the troubles with the Visa. Of course, it is a simple procedure and one only has to get hold of an agent to sail through the procedure. We got hold of one too, but then the cyclonic rains hit Chennai for more than a month, putting all applications on hold. We managed to get the Visa just in the nick of the time. And, then lastly, the husband and I got hit by a nasty bout of viral in quick succession just 10 days before the travel date. I was so sick that for a while we wondered if I'd get better enough to undertake a journey.

For all the advance planning, we managed to start packing only two days before the trip that included some last minute shopping. It was totally a mad, crazy time for a person like me who likes to pack at leisure!

Getting past all the drama, we set out for one of the most cherished vacations; one that will be remembered for a variety of reasons. Hoping to capture all the fine moments in the upcoming short series of posts. Stay tuned!

5 comments:

  1. you having funnnnnn.. looking forwards to hearing all the gossip :)

    wish you and family a very happy new year

    Bikram's

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    Replies
    1. Happy new year to you and family, Bikram! Yes, it was super fun :-)Yeah, hope I post all the details, the first one is up, btw.

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  2. wow, even reading it seemed like a suspense movie. Happy your vacation came through Uma and waiting to read more of the highlights of your trip.

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    Replies
    1. Hehe, Vibha..it was a lovely vacation. The first part is up, in case you want to read :-)

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    2. Wow! It must have been a fun vacation! I visited Singapore in May - had a blast! Happy new year!

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