Reason to Smile :)

Reason to Smile: For a fair amount of time I have been thinking if there is someone from the so called 'writing' world who can evaluate on what I write and how I write for validation. Just for the heck of it. And now I did get some chance of it. While I am sitting at home jobless trying to just figure out ways to make some contribution somewhere, to avoid being inactive, I came across one post on PMIT where a bunch of guys were looking for writers who just can bring some catchy content to them. I did not overthink. I just emailed them my blog link and FB post links and asked them if there is any association I could put a tick on. Kind enough, they immediately responded giving me an assignment to work on. I did not know how to react on it. In my head I was trying to give an exam of a skill I never gained professionally !! :D :P But anyways whats the harm in taking that shot ! So here's the assignment I wrote an article on. The topic was - Why should marathoners ru...

Reason to Smile: Article - My Reason to Smile post on Linked in :) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-reason-smile-neha-mehta?trk=hp-feed-article-title-like I have always wondered what makes people around me, around others extremely happy? I figured out the term 'happy' very late in my life despite knowing and having an access to all the gadgets and tools to be one. It is much later that I realized that more than understanding the term 'happiness', it is just about feeling it, owning it and being one ! For a long time in my life, after completing graduation, having a job in hand, picking up post graduation and then also finishing doctorate with good grades, I still could not make up my mind as to these achievements were the 'reasons' I am happy about?!?! Hailing from a Gujarati family, our daily chores and communications were more business like. Most of our talks would sound like a transaction. Right from what began a thought to how it was analys...

Reason to Smile: I have been visiting 'n' number of urban and rural places for treks, trips, tours and alike. I have also attended many charity events, been a part of many social service activities through groups and NGOs. But this one has always been extra special. Here's why. There is a team of people, very warm, loving and over caring, inspiring and an extremely dedicated lot that not only thinks of the upliftment of the rural or tribal villages but also look forward to working towards it. I have usually come across people who talk big, earn big, sometimes donate big but not work towards this cause. Also, I feel just to call it a donation or a contribution for a 'cause' is also way too less of an expression for these amazing people who have made sure that every participation counts ! This joy of giving, this expression of selfless contribution and this effort for a wonderful cause was organised by Priti Patel and Yahya Virani (Offbeat Sahyadri and ChalNikalP...

Reason to Smile: As we start our journey towards Karwar, a place near Karnataka, we have only limited idea of what Oyster Island has in store for us. While all of us are immensely engrossed in having crazy fun during the train time with Mafia and other games, chit chatting, eating and cracking jokes, it is this group of 21 known and unknown people with Travel Trikon who are excited about how and what the 'real time' experience would be at this island, a lot talked about :) We reached early morning with a delayed schedule of 2 hours. We had to get ready, have breakfast and move towards the island via a boat ride. It is only with Travel Trikon that this could be possibly met on time and turn the tables to be right on schedule to reach the place where the boats were parked. Little did we know how fascinating the entire boat ride would be. All of us jumped to joy when we saw a few dolphins trying to say a hello to us ! We smiled, we wooed, we clapped, and then with all the inn...

Reason to Smile: Devkund is a trek not known to many is what I was informed.  Though when we reached, we couldn't believe the amount of crowd we saw assuming it is getting popular - All Thanks to Manoj from Travel Trikon and other fellow travel groups that are making this place the most eventful one :) It is this excitement that one wants to visit the place after checking out the pictures, the adventure in the dense forest (during the two hours trek up) near the humongous mountains it covers up by all the sides. Yes, while one walks a long path, takes the traverse near the Bhira Dam and ascends the short route towards the 'kund' it is unbelievable how each side of your view has these magnificent and huge hills in square, triangle and rectangle shapes with its peak probably less conquered even by the locals. These mountains look as if they are standing tall just there to protect us from the unknown and uninvited :) The uphill routes, extremely tall tress, and the nature...

Reason to Smile: There is a beautiful Poem I came across today. I dedicate this to the umpteen crazyness we experienced with a bunch of like-minded mad people around :P The impossible becomes possible. When we share laughter, There's twice the fun; When we share success, We've surpassed what we've done. When we share problems, There's half the pain; When we share tears, A rainbow follows rain. When we share dreams, They become more real; When we share secrets, It's our hearts we reveal. If we share a smile, That's when our love shows; If we share a hug, That's when our love grows. If we share with someone On whom we depend, That person is always Family or friend. And what draws us closer And makes us all care, Is not what we have, But the things that we share. Author Unknown It is with this feeling that all of us usually spend our fun times with friends and family. It is truly said that one can forget what you spoke, what you di...

Reason to Smile: Been a while I dropped in here ! So yes it has been good from some time now. Lots of changes, lots of new things and challenges to encounter :) New Job, New equations with new people, new environment (very challenging and mysterious though :P ) new reactions discovered to new problems ;) new areas of improvements learnt and also an altogether new feeling of being missed out ! A mixed feeling of dullness and excitement with a pinch of salt :P The only sail through was, as usual, friends and family who have never missed out on supporting me through tough times. I am truly blessed for sure. It takes a while for me to realize their importance though but when the going gets tough, the tough gets going :) I haven't taken wiser decisions always but yes after taking them, I have surely tried to make them better :P I always tried and hopefully haven't ignored facing problematic areas in my life. It is this courage that probably my friends and family counted me in...

Reason to Smile: It is so wonderful to come to this page and write about the experiences every now and then. I was obviously happier that it used to be every Monday morning. What took me aback is that now there is a regular gap. It had been 3 weeks post my Gandikota trip that I had not been to any new place or explored or even taken any attempt to make any plans. It was this 'restless' me who just jumped to joy when Aashishji gave me a call over the weekend and informed me about Naldurg at Solapur. Before even I could hear any further on what and how we have to proceed, I just said Yes and we started the leg work. Eventually I also learnt about the Lenyadri plans Merwyn was making an effort on and had invited me earlier to check on it. Both over the same weekend ! So while I had already committed to Aashish ji  by then, I checked on all possible commute that we could utilize to safely reach Solapur and back. I checked with Merwyn if he could join us too if his plans were dic...

Reason to Smile:  They say Travel makes you one bit wiser. Every time you travel, take up a trip outside alone or with a bunch of people, it just brings in new experiences, learning and of course wonderful memories :) Travel Trikon's trip to Gandikota and Belum Caves has not left any stone un-turned to just do that and give us all a whole new world of unexplored places, extreme madness, crazy people and superb pictures to cherish unlimited memories :) Manoj Kalwar, Our Group Leader, (who is proud to announce that he is one or else no one gives him an ear :P) has made a perfect amalgamation of  a historical place clubbed with a sunny weather fine enough to click pictures of an extremely neat and photogenic venue :) He has always managed to crack a superb deal with his exceptional people skills to make a fine mixture of Place, People and a Passion to travel an unforgettable experience :) The endless Mafia Games, the totally ruined Manoj's loud voice in the Antakshari ma...

Reason to Smile: The night before we thought of making plans for the long weekend that was coming up on account of Independence Day, I had already decided that I was taking a holiday and wanted to go some place surreal :) I browsed some pictures on the web and froze in on Spiti Valley. I asked 2-3 friends if they were ok taking a 9 days holidays clubbing the weekends and surprisingly most of them agreed :) What next, the plans were being referred to, the research started on the stay, food, organizers if any, trying to make this a budget trip with about 6-7 girls on a holiday ! While I was already a part of all the zing zang, something wasn't keeping me as excited about Spiti for Aug. I was wondering if it would rain so much, whether the itenary would materialize properly, whether it would turn out to be an expensive affair for that place in the Himalayas, etc. Just then I thought of withdrawing from Spiti and checking out Srilanka on my own :P I had some solo trip on my mind ...

Reason to Smile: The last Saturday that we took a plunge on the experiment of finding that "secret waterfall" materialized this time. So we went with Pug Marks Group who arranges Volunteer Training Programs to conduct outdoor camps and adventure activities. While they train some youth to take charge of such camps, they also organize treks and travel programs for the travel enthusiasts :) The bus droppped us near the Kondeshwar temple which was about 1 km away from where a small trek starts to the waterfall. But before that, it was time to have some fun and get some volunteers on the job. Vismay, Rahul, Tanmay, Madhurima, were some of the volunteers who got the participants all engaged with some fun filled games ! The monsoons have soaked in completely to the weather by now so the entire place selected for these games was all green grass and the wet mud to get us totally BROWN if we played Catterpillar, Ram Raavan Run OR the Mud Rush :P The gang of 27 thoroughly enjoy...

Reason to Smile: Looks like one weekend at home got me so restless that I had to make some plan (atleast in my head) for this one :P I just checked up with my off late travel buddy - Madhurima if there was something we could just explore. I just wanted some excuse to step out of the house or else either I would go mad or make my mother one :P She, as dedicated as she would be, suggested we just try and experiment something nearby. So we headed straight to Badlapur. I only knew about the Kondeshwar Temple and some pond nearby. But she insisted that there was some very secluded waterfall which hardly even the locals know about ! I was very curious and excited if we could spot that. So we reached Badlapur station early morning and about 8 kms away is Kondeshwar temple. The bloody Auto Rickshaw fellows rip you off on the excuse of the extremely bumpy roads that they have to drive on ! :P A short curvy, bumpy and a slightly hilly road led us to the temple with a Dam en-route where it w...

Reason to Smile: The lush green views, the rice and wheat plantations, the foggy mountains, the wet silver curvy roads and we 3 girls on a road trip. It all begins with this thought and check where we land up :) Honnavar - One small city in Karnataka, very close to Kumta, Gokarna, Murudeshwara Temple and many more such popular places. We headed straight to Madhu's native where her uncle lived. Her Mamaji, as we all affectionately called him, greeted us and was very strict about maintaining the schedule of our trip, for he was our official guide to take us to umpteen places around for sight seeing. Honnavar is a place not many people know about. We succumbed to a feeling that it was a good monsoon time to explore something unusual, less popular, and less commercial :) Day 1: So our first stop was a drive to Mirjan Fort. A huge fort located towards the South of Gokarna, about 30 kms from Honnavar is a fort that attracts visitors with its majestic looks.  As one enters the fo...