Bir, breezes and big plans

Trusting the process, one curious step at a time

Feb 06, 2025

Hello from Bir, Himachal Pradesh!

I arrived here this morning after two long days of travel from Chennai. My body is still adjusting—from the humid 30+ degrees of Kerala to the crisp 9-degree air of the mountains.

Since it’s Thursday (aka newsletter day), I’ve settled into a sunny spot, letting the warmth thaw my fingers enough to type. I have no clear direction for this, but I still want to write...

Every few minutes, a breeze rolls in, sending a shiver down my spine. I can see it coming from the horizon as the last of the trees in my view begin their slow, rhythmic dance. But it takes its time reaching me, as if the trees aren’t in any hurry to pass it along.

And that’s exactly why I’m here—to slow down.

Beside me, a dog is basking in the sun, now distracted by a bee it’s trying to catch. The whole world feels unhurried, as if this part of the earth moves at its own pace. And in this moment, I feel incredibly blessed to be here.

This is the life I dreamed of in college. Back then, I just wanted to see new places. Now, I crave more than that—I want to learn skills, immerse myself in local arts, and truly experience the essence of each place. But at its core, the dream has remained the same: the freedom to be anywhere I want and the time to pursue what sparks my curiosity.

It fascinated me - How did I come this far?

I’m remembering the difficult choices, the forced patience and the will it took to stay true to my path.

People have told me I wasn’t hitting the milestones of my age—that I should be focusing on stability, not adventure. And I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me second guess just a little. As a freelancer, work and money have always been uncertain. There were high phases and low ones, moments of doubt where I questioned everything. But I learned to be patient in those lows and not let fear make my decisions for me. There is still a long way to go, and I’m mentally promising myself to keep trusting my instincts—because that’s what has gotten me this far.

As for what’s next—

After three months of intense physical activity, the next 1.5 months are going to be about slowness and creativity. For the journey of New Roads, New Skills, I’m considering self-learning a skill here that could be incredibly useful for my projects. I’ll share more once the plan is in place!

Beyond that, I’m looking forward to three amazing workshops—one on storytelling, one on purpose, and one on painting. I’ll be sharing my experiences along the way too.

Honestly, it’s amazing where our curiosities can take us and how much joy they can bring. I’m just feeling incredibly grateful.

Little Joys

“Joy is always around if only we pause to acknowledge it.”

With life's burdens and big ambitions, it's easy to overlook our everyday joys. let’s take a moment to acknowledge the small joys from the last week. Here are mine -

I got my first every pedicure as a thank you to my feet for carrying me through 3 months of Kalari training.
I took a 32-hour train journey all by myself and thoroughly enjoyed it.
A sweet friend hosted me in Delhi, fed me, and even gave me a gift—one that I don’t think she realized would be so helpful to me at this moment.
Spent time with my family.
Got a short gig at the perfect time!

Stories from my journey

There are so many stories I’m yet to post from my Kalaripayattu training and experience. Last week I shared a few pictures of me in traditional Kalari attire and doing traditional Kalari poses. And also a reel on the healing side of Kalaripayattu which is very fascinating.

When it comes to my content creation journey, January felt like a month full of promise. I’ve shared the experience in my blog, Dairy of a Creator, January 2025 – Momentum