I know I am a little late for writing this one. It’s actually on purpose cause I knew I will much more content if I wait a week extra. Again, I thought I would probably write over a specific theme this month but I couldn’t think of anything to be honest. Nevertheless, I do have a few things to write about in this blog. Moving on from a difficult September, we had October which had Diwali standing right at the corner, and the entire month somehow felt like everyone was just waiting for that break. The winter arc officially began this October, but that’s just for saying — because everyone around me was, in some way, simply waiting for Diwali to arrive.

At the beginning of October, Dad suddenly asked if we could plan a small trip during Diwali because Vedashree (my sister) would have a few days off, and I was like, “Wow Dad, kitna jaldi bataya.” I had no option, really. Family trips are rare, and the four of us hadn’t gone anywhere together since 2022. Mom also hadn’t been anywhere for a long time because of health issues in the early part of the year. Even though it was sudden, I knew we had to go.
So I planned a trip as fast as I could — booked tickets to Bengaluru, and from there we decided to rent a car and explore Coorg. The tickets were, as expected, awfully expensive and I knew my bank balance was going to suffer. But it was worth it, and I’ll tell you why later in the blog.
I booked a local stay suggested by one of my friends at work and went ahead with it. Apart from Coorg planning, I also had to plan a few other trips in December for a friend’s wedding, and another trip to Thailand — which I’ll come to shortly. Overall, October was just me planning a lot of things, because sadly, no one else takes initiative. The responsibility of booking and coordinating things almost always comes down to me. I hate it, honestly. But I also know that if I don’t do it, no one will.
Anyway, cut to: we first celebrated a few days of Diwali at home. It felt weird honestly… maybe I’m just tired of Diwali, which is such a pathetic feeling to have. But that didn’t last long because we headed to Coorg on the 22nd.
I took my family to the airport lounge this time — Pune while going, Bengaluru on our return. It was an amazing experience for them. I felt really happy seeing them happy, and knowing I could be the reason behind that. Honestly, that’s all I’ve ever wanted: to be someone’s reason for happiness. It’s just sad that people don’t always see me the same way. Anyway, here’s more about the trips.

Coorg

Coorg is a hill station near Bengaluru/Mangalore in Karnataka. It’s basically like a South-Indian version of Mahabaleshwar/Matheran. The travel from Bengaluru to Coorg via Mysore was amazing. We met a really sweet driver who drove our rental throughout the trip. The roads were super smooth for the most part, especially the expressway. Mysore was super nice as well, it felt historic. The palace was beautiful sight.

We reached Coorg and just relaxed that day. The food at the stay was nice, but could’ve been better (my family felt so), but I was okay with it since I feel like I don’t have much taste for food anymore.
Over the next few days, we explored Coorg — whatever it had to offer. The best part of the trip was definitely the off-roading experience at 5 AM at Mandalpatti in a jeep. This is exactly the kind of unique experience I wanted. We reached about 4000 ft above sea level after the off-roading, surrounded by fog, mountains, and lush green landscapes everywhere. That was the highlight of the trip for me.
We saw scenic viewpoints, visited the origin of the Kaveri river, walked through coffee plantations — surreal experiences overall.
While returning, we went to the BLR lounge. I was watching Ind vs Aus there, and saw Rohit and Kohli do their thing in the last game of the series. Them not retiring after the match was all I wanted from that game.
Our return flight was in the evening, and it was one of the most beautiful flights I’ve taken. Mom sat by the window and she was so happy — she had never seen views like that before. At the end of the trip, she thanked me, and low-key I was so happy inside, but all I said was, “Don’t thank me. This is what was needed.” I felt grateful — truly grateful. Those extra bucks were worth it. Moments like these are priceless. These moments are the reminder that whatever I do everyday is to experience this feeling. I even have a video of my parents being happy on the flight — might attach it here.

After the trip, I got sick the moment I reached home. I was shivering and had a terrible fever. I was sick for the next three days. Once I recovered and returned to work, I had to plan another trip. Honestly, I was exhausted, but what could I do — I had already booked flights and stays for this one.
For the next few days, my friends at work and I planned this Phuket trip.

Phuket

So, some context: this was my first international trip. And never in my life did I imagine Thailand would be the first country I’d visit. I always thought it would be Japan. But my dear friend Aditya had his birthday coming up, and he wanted to celebrate in Thailand this time — Goa wasn’t enough for him last year.
So for his 25th birthday, I obviously had to sacrifice my dream of Japan being my first international destination. But boy, was it worth it.
Because another dream I’ve always had was to go on a boys’ trip like the movie The Hangover, and we actually did.
I obviously can’t disclose everything we did on the trip, but it was too much fun — the kind of trip I’ll remember for the rest of my life. The kind of trip we’ll all talk about years later and laugh about the insane stories we made.
Phuket is beautiful — aesthetically, visually, atmospherically. The roads, the infrastructure, the people, the air — everything felt so clean and superior compared to anything you’ll find while travelling in India. The civic sense itself makes you feel like you are living in a different world.
The party places were amazing. The experiences you have in Phuket… should probably stay in Phuket.
I tried pork and bacon for the first time — tasted great. Thai cuisine is something everyone should experience — so many textures and flavours.
One of the best parts of the trip was also our worst nightmare — our own Hangover moment. I cannot disclose it, but if anyone can slightly guess what might have happened, brownie points to you.(wink)
We took great pictures. Visited Maya Bay — the 5th best beach in the world near Phi Phi Islands. Clean, green water. Beautiful. Spent a whole day on the Phi Phi Islands tour — great catamaran, great tour guides. You have to take this tour if you ever plan to visit Phuket.
We also partied at Illuzion — the 9th best club in the world. Took an authentic, real Thai massage (not the erotic one). Very calming. So calming that I could do a few extra pull-ups after coming back because my muscles felt loose for the first time in forever.
We stayed at Courtyard by Marriott in Old Town Phuket — nothing short of amazing.
I might share a link to the photo album if anyone wants to see the pics.

Now I’m back, trying to find my groove again in this winter arc. Honestly, after a heavy September, these trips were exactly what I needed. But somewhere inside, I still feel like I haven’t fully lived this winter arc the way I imagined. On the brighter side, I somehow ended up getting a lot of really good pictures on this trip—something that barely ever happens with me. I posted them a day ago, and a lot of people have been telling me I look different, that something about me has changed. I honestly don’t know how to respond to that. It wasn’t intentional. It just… happened, through circumstances. So I guess all I can do is smile, say thank you, and be grateful. Maybe that’s what I’m supposed to feel. Anyway, there’s a lot lined up for the coming months, and I need to brace myself for whatever’s coming my way.

Between family moments in Coorg and the madness of Phuket, October and November felt like two opposite worlds — one grounding, one chaotic. Somehow both were needed. Both gave me something to smile about, something to hold, something to distract me from the weight September left behind.
Work is slow, life feels in-between, and December is looking a little scary and a little exciting — because I know things are about to change. And this time, I want to be ready.
For now, I’m grateful. For the people, the trips, the laughs, the memories, and the tiny glimpses of peace. But I’m also hungry. There’s a lot I want to achieve, a long way to go, and I need to keep reminding myself of that.
So yeah — that’s October and November. Chaotic, warm, tiring, happy, expensive, messy, and strangely beautiful.

That's all for now.