We all have history, darling!

Someone said this to me a few days ago and I simply couldn’t stop thinking about it. Isn’t that true, though? You, me, all of us. We all have been through different things in our life. And that lady didn’t refer to it as some sort of a bad experience. What she meant was, we all have had brief or enduring chapters in our lives which have had a significant impact in our lives. This history that you’ve had has probably led you to become the person you are today.

Remember, how you used to sit for history lectures and listen to your Professor talk about these astounding people who fought battles, who created change, even led revolutions, fought for independence? And we learnt about these men and women because they were brave enough to do something significant that it lives on even after they’re gone. We, too, are modern day heroes writing our own chapters. Some have to fight battles with outsiders who come to rob the love that resides in our hearts, while some have to fight their own vicious mind and achieve control over it.

The scars that these battles leave, might hurt you out of the blue. A sting that hurts you so bad, you lay writhing in pain. But let these very scars remind you, that you fought the battles that have brought you here, you showed up on the battlefield! And though you might have lost some battles, don’t forget what they taught you. You always learn from your failures. And darling, you don’t have to carve out tombstones for the love that died or the people that left or your failures. You don’t need to build a memorial park where once stood a fierce warrior who fought back. But rather build an empire, that thrives with people, who uplift you and who would fight these battles with you. Build an army that would be ready to fight for you, roaring with the battle cries of hope and wearing shields of love as armor.

We are all modern-day warriors. Today, we fight. We fight against injustice, inequality, patriarchy. We fight for the things that our hearts want and we stand our guard against people who try to break down the walls of our mental peace. We are the unsung heroes, that fight bravely everyday. Because if you are going to create history, why not make it a glorious one! A history which doesn’t end up in ruins, but an empire that still stands mightily after fighting hundreds of battles. And one fine day when you will look back, you will think about the braveheart that fought through it all.

PS: This picture was taken at Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Gujarat, India in Dec 2019.

Joy to the world!

I was literally screaming with joy and running towards the houses with all these colorful Christmas decorations and lights. The inner child in me was extremely happy and excited! I’ve come across people who might see the same things and just walk past by. And that’s okay too. But what I believe is, why not try to enjoy the small joys that come along your way? These small joys are the ones that keep the inner child in you alive, while you constantly worry about your adult life. Life doesn’t have to be so difficult, not as much as you think it is.

In the anticipation of what might happen in the future, we’re busy working towards our long-term goals. But, how about just taking a stroll (while wearing a mask) and just trying to spot the beauty that lies around? Don’t let the unsettling changes that the pandemic has brought upon us rob you from the joy of Christmas that has already arrived! All you need to do is just give happiness a chance.

Don’t let the worries about your future or the fear of your past stop you from enjoying what lies in front of you right now. Just like how I knew these Christmas lights will be gone by the start of the new year, I just had to go see them before they were gone! It’s all about trying to make the most out of where you are. Hope you too, find some joy along your way today. ✨🎄

Dyker Heights, Brooklyn

Let go a little.

Start with your vulnerability, you don’t have to hold it all in.
You can let go a little, vulnerability is really not a sin.

Moving on to your anxiety, why do I have so many troubles you say;
Let go a little, you don’t have to worry about everything that doesn’t happen your way.

The things and people that bring you bouts of sadness, let them go a little;
Make some room for happiness, you don’t always have to settle.

The fear that’s eating you alive, it’s just in your head;
Let go a little more and you’ll know life is really not that bad. ✨

Epilogue: We are often afraid of letting things go just because once they meant a lot to us. Things, people, memories. But if it’s troubling you so much, do you really want those things in your life? Letting go is hard. So much harder than me just saying it. But, more than anyone else, do it for yourself. You deserve all the happiness in this world and it begins with inner peace. So, try to let go of things that are weighing you down and just soar high with wings of freedom in the clear sky!

Perks of being a Wildflower!

That’s the thing about these wildflowers. Nobody planted their seeds here. Some were carried by the ferocious winds and some by the torrential rains. I wonder how far they had to travel and through how many storms and hurricanes before they found this spot, right here, by the beach! But once they found an empty home, they blossomed through all the empty spaces where once was just dirt and dust. Without being cultivated with caring sets of hands or even fertilizers that could supplement their growth, they just grew.

You too, don’t need everything that you think you do before you can start. While you’ve got this innate ability to grow where you are, you will grow in the high-maintained gardens and in the wild parks by the sea. And that’s the beauty of it all, while you sit here pondering over where to begin, you’ve already commenced this journey. All you need to do is sow the seeds and watch yourself grow. These wildflowers, they find their own water and light along the way, simply thriving through all rubble and rain.

You don’t have to wait for someone to plant you or until you find that perfect place or time. Just remember, wildflowers grow from NOTHING and yet, Mother Earth brings them all the water and nourishment that they would need to flourish. Don’t forget, you too, are her child. So, this is what makes these wildflowers so special. They are born with the only purpose to bloom, that’s all they know and that’s all they ever seek to do. 🌸

The year of throwbacks!

This crazy year is almost about to come to an end and I’m absolutely loving the holiday decorations in New York City (One of the houses on my block has been wrapped with lights in the shape of a gift box with a giant bow. (You can find the image below). December is kind of the month when we decide to look back and sum up how the year has been. I must say it has been a wild ride! But seeing the city light up with all the holiday decorations brings me so much joy. I literally feel like that kid who’s attracted to all shiny things!

Brooklyn, New York

I’ve decided to call this year – The year of throwbacks. These pictures from Mexico City remind me of the amazing memories I had from all of last year’s traveling. It was the beginning of December and after spending a week on Mexico’s sunny beaches, we were welcomed by sweater-weather in Mexico City, which was our last stop of the trip. I remember I was so sad about returning back to New York after this much needed long vacation. Thinking about it now, it suddenly dawned upon me that I was missing it so much, because I had such a great time there!

Mexico City, Dec 2019

So, here’s to looking forward to creating many more such happy memories that I can look back to! RIP to all the planned trips that didn’t happen this year. And grateful for the unplanned ones that did. I surely was disappointed about not being able to be at those places because of travel restrictions and safety concerns, but I would’ve never experienced Fall in the Northeast like I did this year. My photo album is filled with so many colors thanks to nature’s very own color palette. Sometimes, you don’t need to travel long and far for the happiness that you seek, cause sometimes, it’s just right around you.

The solitary tree.

Amidst the endless sea in the background and the tiny green shrubs, this tree stood out in front of me because it was the only solo component I could spot in the picture. It was just swaying along with the wind, glistening in the morning sunlight, lost in a world of its own. And I couldn’t help but capture this solitary tree, out on its own, so close to the sea and yet standing distinguished from everything else around it. What a beautiful sight it was!

During this pandemic, we all have been stuck at home and coerced into pondering over our lives. There have been those who were lucky enough to be stuck with their families and friends, whereas there are those who are locked away in solitude. There’s a high level of uncertainty associated in today’s time. When will it end? What will happen? So many questions! When you start asking one of these questions, your mind just rolls into a frenzy which is difficult to come back from.

Maybe we all need to learn from this lonely tree. So much is happening around us, all this information that we consume, trying to make sense of it all. It doesn’t have to make sense all the time, you know. Sometimes, you just need to stay put through any storms of uncertainty that boggle our minds. Maybe occasionally swing around when the wind changes direction. But, with a calm mind and a stubborn heart, when the strong winds stop blowing and all of this comes to an end, you won’t be standing alone, but you surely will be standing out from the crowd, shining through the brighter days. The Universe loves a resilient heart that never quits! 💖

Already missing the long and bright summer days!

PS: This shot was taken at Wood’s Hole, Massachusetts during the summer of 2020.

Born from the fire!

She often liked to play with fire,
Always chasing after what her heart desired.
That day she stood in front of the blazing sun,
Trying to catch the morning light, to make a run.


Through the gloomy clouds the sun quietly whispered to her,
Fear not my darling, even though things seem a little blur;
These clouds of doubt and fear will drift away,
Only if you hold onto a little, just wait for the sun’s first ray.


For you are born from the fire that you often seek,
The light that radiates from you is just a tiny peek.
So just shine through the haze from wherever you are,
Just as I continue to radiate light and warmth, long and far.

Epilogue: Too often, we go chasing after things and people that we are attracted to, that we feel will add meaning to our lives. However, during this journey, we often forget to think about ourselves. If we begin to recognize our own power, the potential that lies within, we begin to discover ourselves. You don’t need to chase after all these external variables, when you realize that you are enough. That you, yourself, are all the light you will ever need!

PS: I woke up to this sunrise after only 2 hours of sleep in one of the most remote AirBnbs I’ve been to. Felt like the perfect place to be during this pandemic, a perfect countryside beauty. I could see the sun rising through my window and I HAD TO run outside to see it! 🤩

What a view!

I once saw a tv show where a guy visits an old mansion and gets a chance to meet the couple who live there. When he looks at the woman, he sees a beautiful young bride trapped in a big castle, married to a man twice her age. It breaks his heart to see this confined soul in this desolate place and he even offers to rescue her from the man. The girl only smiles at him thinking what a fool he must be. She tells the guy that she’s actually happy with the person she’s married to and that they both love each other. He cares for her selflessly and is even supporting her in continuing her education. In the end there’s a scene where the couple is shown dancing away in their vast empty palace, no one around, just the two of them, living a fairytale of their own.

Sometimes we are so obsessed about finding issues and problems in other people’s lives, we often tend to overlook the bubble they choose to live in. We are so eager to project our way of living life onto them, we simply disregard the other person’s choices and priorities. Everyone doesn’t want the same things in life. Wouldn’t it be kinda boring if that were the case? Some people are just genuinely happy with all the things they have and they’re wise enough to not care about what the outer world thinks about it. What may seem less to you, might be just enough for them. Only if we start being more mindful about other people’s choices!

People want different things in life and have different priorities. So what you may perceive as a bad situation, the other person might just be wanting that. We need to stop judging people for the choices they make and rather try to understand why they did so. And if you can’t understand it, the least we can do is try to respect their choices. We have all got this one life to live. Would you really throw it all away just for what others would think? Everyone deserves a life of their choice and there’s nothing wrong in choosing to live it your own crazy-but-fulfilling way.

My mantra has always been live and let live!

PS: The picture was taken at City Palace, Udaipur (City of Lakes), India in January, 2018.

Don’t ever cease to exist!

Don’t ever cease to exist, my friend.
Now, more than ever!
In times of despair and uncertainty,
When your own people seem to have abandoned you,
Even if these streets seem a little more lonely tonight.

Because when you don’t cease to exist,
But really begin to live even through the long dark days,
The light that you’ll emit will reach places far beyond
And to people who are seeking the tiniest ray of hope, the will to live.

They’ll all come back, some old faces and new.
And when they do, you’ll still be standing in all your glory,
Shining brighter than you ever did,
Leaving everyone wondering if you really are made of magic.

Just don’t ever cease to exist! ✨

– Ashwini Manjrekar

An ode to New York and all the New Yorkers out there! This post is for everyone who loves this city and also for all those who wish to visit it one day. It really is magical!

The new Times Square LED display. We are ready for the 2020 ball drop on New Year’s eve!

The power of manifesting your dreams.

When I was a kid, I used to draw a painting which had a small house with tiny hills in the background and the sun almost setting amidst them. This was probably one of the first paintings that we were taught in class. However, I always drew a bridge that would cross over a lake besides the house, with a few ducks (or what looked like ducks then) floating in the water. These extra elements in the painting were nothing but my imagination gone wild.

Today, when I look back at this picture which was taken a few weeks ago on one of my walks in my neighborhood, it just struck me that this picture resembles my go-to childhood painting so much! And I was in awe thinking about how dreams do come true. That 7-year old kid didn’t know much about what she wanted to be or do in her life, but all she dreamed of then, was this view. And here I was, standing awestruck in front of this beautiful scenery in real life.

I am a dreamer, always have been and will always be. I believe in the power of the will to achieve whatever goals I set my eyes on. The belief that says, if you really have it in your heart, it has immense potential to come true. And this exactly is what keeps me going everyday! The power of manifesting your dreams and the strength of an unfaltering, stubborn heart will take you one step closer to your dream. And along with the efforts that you put in, maybe one fine day, you too, will be standing in front of your dreams with eyes wide open and a fulfilled heart! 💫

Also, I’m forever grateful for all the beautiful sunsets I’ve witnessed in my life. They always leave my spellbound!