Mind Over Monsoons: How To Be Productive When It's Raining

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet

-Roger Miller

Its that time of the year again when the sunlight has been tuned down to a minimum and the sky is overcast with clouds, rain, thunder, and lightning. Every time you look out of your window it gets harder to tell what time of the day it is and you can't help but feel sleepy, lazy and oh, did I mention hungry? It doesn't help that it is almost holiday season so you are stuck at home, with nothing to do, or at least that's what you think. 

As the rains have started in many parts of South India and will now be moving up north, I thought this was the best time to write a blog post on Mind Over Monsoons. I had been feeling gloomy and unproductive in this weather but I find myself having a lot of free time and I am here to tell you how to be productive when it's raining outside. Your ultimate guide to monsoon productivity is here, so make yourself a cup of hot tea or coffee and settle down, take notes and spend the rest of your summer and monsoon break at maximum productivity level!

Top Ten Ways To

Planning You Way To Monsoon Productivity 

      1. Organize/Plan/ Make a To-do list
This is a no-brainer and applicable for all year round productivity but the reason why this is the number one point in my guide is that during the holidays we feel entitled to 'do nothing'. I myself have been guilty of this several times. Even if you do not have a day to day list of items that you want to do at least have a general idea of the goals you want to complete in this one or one and half month break. This will help you stay on track and god, oh god, the satisfaction of ticking that thing off after you have finished it is something your inner nerd will thank you for later.

      2. Get Creative
Okay, so you can't go outdoors, big deal. There are hundreds of interesting things to do from the comfort of your home. 

• Have you always been wanting to decorate your room, put up photos or fairy lights? You can do that now!
• Paint pictures or glass painting on old used bottles
• Make that scrapbook which you have eyeing on Pinterest.
• Start a photo journal
• Play some music, write blog posts, make your website, make YouTube videos!!!

    3. Hello, Endorphins!
It's raining outside and it's not drizzling. No. It's pouring sideways and the roads are jammed and you cant make it to your gym. You can't go out jogging in the park. So what do you do? Watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S on repeat? Yes, you could do that. But you could do that while exercising from the comfort of your own home!

• Try yoga at home. You can find many YouTube videos and follow along.
• Do a quick skipping session with your simple jump rope
• Put on loud music and dance like no one's watching
• Pilates! Just you, your body weight and a yoga mat. 
• Clean your house. It's going to help you stretch and get in a good work out.

     4. Online Courses.

School or college is closed but you can still learn a lot through online courses and this can be in any field of your interest. Websites like Coursera and Udemy offer many online certificate courses for you to choose from and it will not only give you a new skill but also add to your resume.

    5. Online Internships

I am not asking you to fly across the country here. From the comfort of your home, apply for Work From Home internships and do freelance work for companies. If you start looking you will be surprised at how many companies need an intern to help them out. Internshala and Twenty19 can help you there. 

     6. Cooking experiments

All those dishes you said you would cook but never did because you did not have 'enough time' well guess what, now you are free and I am hungry. So cook some delicious food because we tend to get more hungry in this weather. Bake some delicious food too and don't forget to take photos and tag #TimeTravellinShutterbug on Instagram if you want them to be featured on my account.

Photo credit ITC Hotels

   7. Pamper Yourself With At Home Spa Day

You finally have some time for yourself so while you watch that movie for the 15th time, you can simultaneously pamper your skin and hair. Please remember that all the rain and dirt in the monsoon is going to leave your feet dirty and they will need some extra care.

• Scrub your face, arms and legs do de tan with some potato, tomato or even homemade besan and channa flour scrub.
• Put on some hair oil after a good hair and head massage or put on a hair mask
• Put on a face pack/ Multani mitti/ yoghurt-honey-turmeric etc
• Clean your nails and give yourself a mini meni-pedi, soak your limbs in some hot water with salts
• Take a long hot shower, shampoo, and condition
• Moisturize and finish off with fresh nail paint

Viola, you are a whole new person!

Photo from Google Images

   8. Indoor games

Be it board games or other small in-door games, the time to play them is now when it is raining. Try monopoly, snake and ladders, housie, card games, hide and seek, dumb charades etc. Growing up, I used to have my neighbor girls and friends over all the time during holidays and we would play these all day long. It's time to bring back some of that childhood memories to our grown up-adult self- summer/monsoon breaks.

   9. Reading & Writing

I am guilty of buying or borrowing novels and never getting around to finishing them as I get caught up in academic work. Monsoon holidays can be the perfect time to catch up on reading and hey if you are that broody writer type then start writing now! Stay motivated with hot drinks like green tea, coffee, hot chocolate or tea! It will instantly give you a boost.

  10. Time Off

Monsoons many time come with power cuts and this is the perfect excuse to get off technology, internet, and social media. Make some tea and pakodas, play games with your friends and family read a book, make your arts and crafts and just take a social media detox.

Are there any other things that you love to do in monsoons which I have not mentioned in this ultimate guide to monsoons? Leave them down in the comments below. Suggestions, comments, and questions are always welcome.

Share this blog post with your friends who have complained of being bored in the holidays or feeling lazy due to the gloomy weather and you can thank me later!

Like what you see and want more travel blog post, inspiration, travel style and budget travel ideas then go follow my Instagram account @timetravellingshutterbug

Acknowledgement: To my sister, Sonali Khetia for taking my photos for this blog post.

Links To Get You Going:

Exercise: Pilates Videos

Online Courses: Coursera, Udemy

Internships: Internshala, Twenty 19

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

Birthday By The Beach

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things"

-Henry Miller.

The birthday girl wished for a birthday by the beach and I being the travel-granting fairy took matters into my own hands. As I many times say all I need to make things happen is the name of my next destination. I had two beach resorts near Mangalore which were begging to be explored. I honestly can't even remember where I came across the Turtle Beach Bay in Trasi. Much like the infamous Goa trip, our beach trip was almost over before it begun. After celebrating my friend Fatema's birthday at midnight it was almost impossible for our group of five to be up and ready at seven in the morning. I obviously ironed my clothes in the middle of the night and had my beach wardrobe all set but this day was not about me. And so I went back to sleep when no one woke up at seven in the morning thinking of all the chores I could accomplish that Sunday *Inner Monica rejoicing* The heavens had other plans however and who was I to deny them :p Over breakfast at the mess it was decided to go to the beach anyway. Like they say better late than never! We quickly grabbed our bags and begun our journey to the beach.

It took us around one and a half hour to reach the beach resort. We had the beach to ourselves. Yes, that's right! Just the five of us. There were a few guests staying in the rooms at the resort but they did not swim. After admiring the beautiful beach and taking a few photos we changed into our swimsuits and jumped right into the water. It was the perfect temperature at around one in the afternoon. As it was a rather sunny day, we applied generous amounts of sunscreen. After some swimming where we played piggyback water fight we took a break for some well-deserved lunch. The resort has a restaurant with a decent menu.

Post-lunch we went swimming one more time. Turtle Beach also had beach volleyball and other activities. As we were on a tight schedule due to some pending nursing assignments we had to leave before the sunset. But here's the secret scoop only for my readers. The direction of this beach does offer a sunset at the beach! So in case, you plan to follow my lead and go check out this place for yourself you must stay back for sunset and send me those photos!

The beach has showers and changing facilities so one can easily freshen up after swimming. I luckily carried my shampoo and managed to wash my hair saving me from doing it later at night when I would be exhausted.We made our return journey while listening to tunes and chatting away. At one point we even stopped to buy fruits from the bus stop for the week ahead. Before parting ways we enjoyed some hot ginger tea and then said our goodbyes. This trip was over but the memories we had collected were going to last us a lifetime. Also, I am certain that I will be going back to Turtle Bay Beach Resort.

Seeing Is Believing

Travel Vlog: Birthday By The Beach

If you see what you like please like, comment, share and subscribe!

Everything You Want To Know About Turtle Bay Beach Resort

How to reach?

Take a bus/train to Kundapur in Karnataka. From Manipal a bus to Udupi and a connecting bus to Kundapur. From Kundapur take a bus to Trasi. If you have a private vehicle you are sorted!

How much cash to carry?
I would say about 1000 rupees.
Food: 200-300
Entrance: 250
Transport to and fro by bus: 150
It's always good to have extra cash in hand. Also in case you want to try out any water sports, you may need extra cash.

How long to stay?A day trip would be recommended. The shower facility is sufficient for all your daytime needs.The rooms available are expensive from a budget travel point of view costing around 2500+ per night.

What to carry?
You can carry your own food if you wish!
1) Sunscreen
2) Towel
3) Sunglasses/Hat
4) Swimwear
5) Extra pair of clothes
6) Cards, beach ball or other games.
7) Sunglasses
8) Music and speakers
9) Shampoo and toiletries.
10) A plastic bag for your wet clothes!

For other Beach Destination ideas you can check my other blog posts:
1. Goa After Graduation

2. St.Mary's Island

3. Beach Therapy: Murudeshwara

4. Gokarna Girls Trip

You can stay up to date with all my travel stories and photos by following me on my very active My Instagram Account
That's all for this blog post. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved experiencing it. But don't stop there go ahead and see it for yourself! Thank you for reading. All comments and feedback is appreciated in the comments section below.

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

Girls On A Mission: Christmas Travel Diaries

"A nomad I will remain for life, in love with distant and uncharted places"

-Isabelle Eberhardt.

Five girls on a mission to have the most unconventional Christmas ever. A summery Christmas, by the beach, who would have thought of that? Well, me of course. Duh! Some trips are cut short for a reason. It is because their destiny is to be fulfilled later, in a better way. This was one of those trips for me. On my last blog post Lost In The Forest With No Network: Exploring Yana Caves, I explained how my trip was cut short. Luckily just two weeks after that, I was ready for yet another trip to the same village of  Kumta. 

Mirjan fort had been on my bucket list for the longest time. It is at equidistance from both Gokarna Railway Station and Kumta Railway Station (12 kilometers). Travelling as I normally do on a budget-friendly style, we took the 7.30 am train from Udupi station and reached Kumta by 10.30 am. Although the train was jam packed due to the holidays and we had trouble finding seats, our timing was really good. After grabbing a bite from the local bakery near the station, we took a bus to Mirjan fort. The fort is just 0.5 kilometers from the highway and we easily walked up to the fort. 

There are many versions of when and who made the Mirjan fort. One of them talks of Queen Chennabhairadevi of Gersoppa (Vijayanagar Empire). She built the fort in the 16th century and is said to have ruled for 54 years. A lot of items were traded from the fort under her rule the prominent one being pepper and hence she was named as the Pepper Queen by the Portuguese.

It was an extremely sunny day but we were all pumped and sunshine was not going to come in the way of our spirit. We took a ton of photos from every angle possible. This was also the first time I was traveling with my new phone the MIA1 from Xaomi. The photos came out relatively good although the phone does not perform well in low light situation but this is a travel blog post and not a phone review :p

A little dehydrated from walking around the fort we took shelter under what literally seemed like the Tree Of Life. It seemed like the perfect picnic spot as we snacked on food and listened to good music while chatting away. After some rest and refreshment, we headed back to the highway and caught a bus to Gokarna. From the Gokarna bus stop, we took an auto and were on our way to Kudle Beach. Nostalgia hit me right in my guts as I stepped on Kudle Beach. It seemed just like yesterday when I was in my third year and had gone for my first girls trip with my best friends. It was TheTime When The Ticket Checker (TC) Caught Us and it was my first ever blog post on my blog (so many memories). The beach looked perfect. Just the way it did two years ago like nothing had changed but I knew it did because for one thing the shack where I previously stayed was closed down.

The photos in this blog post cannot justify my experience. I must insist that if you are a travel or photography enthusiast go ahead and follow me on my home planet Instagram. My handle is @timetravellingshutterbug. I post my travel updates in my Insta stories and am always writing mini blog posts related to my trips with each photo and leaving extra tips and tricks for all my followers. Here is the nine photos from this trip that I just posted and not including this screenshot would not justify my experience of this trip. So go ahead find me and follow me. I promise my comedic stories and polls shall not disappoint you.

We were starving as it was almost five in the evening and we were surviving on tea, lemonade, and one samosa since morning. We went to the Sunrise Cafe and found ourselves a nice table. I ordered myself a Hawaiian pizza to go with the tropical vibe. The crowd at the beach was perfect and everyone was enjoying the Christmas holidays. A bunch of guys were trying to balance and walk on ropes tied to trees, people were getting hair wraps, others were sunbathing and many swimming. 

 

After finishing our food my friend Nandini convinced me to join her for a swim and I gave in because the water temperature was just perfect. It was one of the best swims I have ever had. We jumped up and down with the waves like little kids. I was glad to have packed a beach dress just in case of a situation like this. It was not a swimsuit but it was an extra pair of clothing, just what you need for an impromptu swimming session!  

After the swim, I changed in the restroom of the same cafe where we had our meal. After watching the sunset, we got autos and headed for the station to make our return journey back to base. Luckily the train was a few minutes late or else we would have missed it. It also had an empty ladies compartment and we relaxed on our way back, chatting away in loud voices over the sound of the running train and the wind.

I am not going to do the tips for Gokarna because honestly there are no tips. You can go for a single day or stay overnight. It is just a place to let loose, enjoy the ocean and some good food. Travel to and fro from Manipal or by railway is cheap. I spent only 700 rupees on this entire trip and 300 of that was on my pizza and cold coffee. It is a perfect place for a quick getaway with friends. It is also picturesque and you can go off exploring. Gokarna also offers treks from one beach to the other. It is a must visit for all beach lovers. As for the Mirjan fort, my one and crucial tip would be to go somewhere just after the rains so that the fort is much greener and better for photography instead of dry and summer weather.

That's all for this blog post. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions. Also if you have any travel destinations around Karnataka that you want to suggest go ahead because I am a self-proclaimed Karnataka Travel Ambassador. The tourism department needs to start paying me now :p Go follow me on my very public Instagram profile. Until next time, have a great January and stick to those resolutions!

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

Real Talk: Overthinking.

At three in the morning, I lay awake in my bed, twisting and turning, begging for sleep to take me I started questioning my sanity. I have not been diagnosed but lying in my bed when my brain is in overdrive, thinking in repeating loops about my behavior has convinced me of having mild levels of insomnia and overthinking disorder.

I plan and organize or should I say over-thinking and over-analyzing?

A little bit of planning never hurts anyone, right? In fact, it's even considered effective to increase your efficiency. But what happens when your plans take over your life? More importantly what when they don't work out?

Anyone who knows me personally would have seen me get upset when they cancel a plan they made with me. I'm sure no one likes being ditched but I take this more personally and seriously. I know it's very wrong of me. The reason one tends to do so is because they only have the understanding to their side of the story. This is why when you cancel on someone else you don't tend to feel as guilty as you should. It is because you know the exact reasons behind your actions, and to you, those reasons can fully justify your actions.

Everyone has a mental list of tasks they need to accomplish during the day. It can be challenging to switch one task with a leisure activity or the other way around. It is a matter of how important the task/activity is on your priority list and the impact of scheduling it later. The time gap that opens up when a plan is canceled and how to use it efficiently is an important skill that I am struggling to develop. Also, the excitement and the anticipation leading up to the plan goes down the drain and then pouring down come to the tears of mixed anger and sadness of rejection. Okay, maybe that's a mouthful to read but that is exactly how I feel.

The silver lining to my problem is that I am optimistic. After a small breakdown, I channel my energy to something positive. Always. However, the breakdowns are what bother me. I hate the periodic sessions of vulnerability. Sometimes they lead to lasting headaches. The state of emotional turmoil would mentally drain me. Any academic work during this time is out of the question and during a crucial period of examination, this downtime is unacceptable.The loud, tall girl with a strong exterior is after all just human.

Stress and anxiety are the biggest foes when you have an overthinking problem. Examinations or peak business months can be very challenging times as it restricts your ability to take healthy mental breaks as you are forced to lock yourself up to study or to work. After some research on how to overcome overthinking behaviour, I have come up with the following techniques that can be easily implemented and overtime shall help myself and anyone out there who suffers from the same.

 5 Ways to Overcome Overthinking: 

1. Awareness.

Isn't this the word thrown around the most these days but I guess its about time. You need to first acknowledge the fact that you are an overthinker. It should be easy because if you are anything like me, you already know it and you wish you could just take a break from your 'thoughts'.

2.Distract yourself with mindful activities.

Please note the word mindful before you take in the note distract. That is crucial. It can be anything that you truly enjoy. A sport, cleaning your house, working on an interesting project, learning a new language, community service! The options are endless. Wouldn't you rather spend your time doing things you actually love than waste it on 'thinking'? If the activity drives you it can be safe to say you will enjoy it and take away the negative hours from your life.

3.Reflection is the key.

Your hectic schedule does not allow you to exercise and I am telling you to reflect? Am I crazy? Hold on and hear me out. Ten minutes of your day with yourself and a journal can take you a long way. 'Talking about it' or 'complaining' to your friends will not be helpful in the long run. Take some time out for yourself. Write one thing you are grateful for every day in your journal along with whatever is bothering you. Once your ten minutes are overlock away your problems in your journal because it is time to rule the world.

4.Live Now.

Live in the present. “Iif you are depressed you are living in the past, if you are anxious you are living in the future, and if you are at peace you are living in the present.” What is the point in worrying about the things which cannot be changed and the future over which you have no control? Always ask yourself this question "Will this matter in 5 years?" The answer will most probably no then do not spend more than 5minutes worrying about it. Also ask yourself 'What can I do?' instead of 'Why did that happen' or 'How/What if that happens'. Ultimately the only thing 'you can do' is work on yourself. Improve your skills, study, indulge in self-care because at the end of the day that is what is going to help solve all your future problems.

5.Your best friend: Endorphin.

Endorphin also known as happy hormone can be collected. It almost sounds like a Pokemon hunt but it is going to leave you happier than catching a rare Pokemon. It is scientifically proven that physical exercise and sports can generate endorphins. It makes you feel good about yourself. It will also give you a good night, good quality sleep and be beneficial for your health. You will have no time to worry about anything when you have to worry about your gym and shower schedule while maintaining a job/college schedule and that is exactly what you need.

Other extremely good ideas include listening to music, watching motivational videos/Ted Talks, reading non-fictional books to keep you busy.

On that note, I will conclude this blog post. I hope it was relatable. Please do share it with your friends who you think would find this helpful because trust me, one good read is all it takes to feel motivated again and come out of the overthinking loop. Feel free to leave your comments and thoughts below. Also, do not forget to follow my blogs via email or by simply following me on Google.

Signinng off,

Nishma Khetia.

Travel Diaries:The Highland Escape

                            

"Let's wander where the wifi is weak"

-Anonymous.

According to a Ted Talk on successful students, one of the biggest difference setting them apart from the normal crowd is that when they plan their timetable they first plan when they will take breaks and what fun activities can be incorporated in these breaks. Yes, you heard me right.

I don't claim to know squat about success. I post photos with motivating captions and quotes but what I can learn from this Ted Talk is that taking a break to refresh yourself is absolutely necessary. The most hectic time in my college schedule comes during Jan-June. It is always packed with deadlines that are directly proportional increase to increase in stress level.

To calm my nerves after my exams, I decided to reward myself with a quick getaway so I would be fresh for my university exams ahead (or so I tell myself to validate bunking labs on Saturday. Stupid six full-day schedule). Anyway, coming back to the point, this time I decided to go with my ex-roommate and bestie, Sonia Lasong Swami all the way from Malaysia.

We booked a homestay in Therathavalli, 18 kilometers from Agumbe in Karnataka, India. Agumbe is easily accessible by bus. We left Manipal at 6 pm on 31st March 2016 and reached Highland Homestay by 9 pm. It was a beautiful house and they served us with some delicious South Indian dinner. We had a long day planned ahead but we stayed up till midnight chatting in true roommate fashion.

The next morning we got a driver to pick us up, we had booked the ride for the full day so we could explore to our heart's desire. We started with Kavaledurga fort. It was one of the many in the Vijayanagar empire, the same one that ruled Hampi back in the day. It was a small hike to the top and left us refreshed and pumped for the day ahead. A scenic view of the hills greeted us at the top. I have had my fair share of good views but this one still took my breath away.

For breakfast, we had neer dosa which is something in between a roti and a dosa but it was very tasty. We then went to Beemanakatte hanging bridge and a nearby temple. The bridge was beautiful and reminded me of the one from the movie Rangoon that was shot in Burma. What a location! It is definitely on my bucket list.The homestay was spoiling us with fresh juice and delicious lunch. We freshened up after lunch and then checked out of the homestay.

Our next stop was the Jain temple at Kundadri hills followed by Sringeri, a good 45 kilometers away from the homestay. It has a famous temple monastery made in the 8th Century which was later renovated. The old temple is located at the bank of Tungabhadra river. There was a hanging bridge above this river as well but the water level was very shallow. It was early evening and we had to catch the sunset at Agumbe.

                       

Agumbe roads are not a joke and can make the best of the travelers puke-ish due to the crazy hair'pin turns. Luckily we didn't puke. Once there we tried paddle boating in a small lake and then watched the beautiful sunset. Our driver then dropped us to the bus stop for our bus back to Manipal.

The quick trip was just what I needed because as I write this I just got done with one exam, two days after this trip and I have one very hard coming up in the next two days. Personally, I spent a little more than my budget mainly because it was only two of us sharing the ride and the room. I spent 3000 rupees but for the efficiency of the trip made it was worth it.

I hope you my travel blog post inspired you to look forward to your own upcoming travel plans. Go ahead and take that trip because life is too short to waste Sundays on sleeping in. (As I write this at 2 am on Saturday that's exactly what I plan to do tomorrow ;) But you can aim for one short outdoor activity a month :))

Feel free to leave thoughts and feedback in the comments below. Is there any place you recommend that I should visit before I graduate in May let me know below.

Photography: All photos are taken by me. You can check out my Instagram and facebook for more photos. Quick links available on the side panel. 

Links:

The Highland Homestay

TED TALK VIDEO ( What top students do differently?)

Signing off,
Nishma Khetia.

My Internship at Biocon (Bangalore)

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn"

-Benjamin Franklin.

When it comes to dreams, a lot of us are hands down generic dreamers. After all, generic is classic. My story was no different. Internship at a big firm in a metro city, living on coffee and making it on my own. That was my big, generic, student dream. Yes, I would have loved to travel instead for a month like those AISEC people and change lives but I didn't have that kind of cash. I could have also done the regular thing students do in summer breaks- go home and visit my parents. But, I was hoping for a miracle and like my classic risk-taker self, I put all my bets on Biocon, Bangalore- India's biggest Biotech firm.

The only contact I had in Biocon was my a friend's dad who knew someone, who knew someone (Yes, so that was my risky bet). After sending in my resume around March, I waited and sent relentless follow-up emails until I got a call from the HR Department. The main reason I wanted to do an internship was to figure out what my calling was. I was debating between Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Management. My goal was to get a Marketing internship. I think Digital Marketing would be perfect for me. I practically live on planet internet.

Finally, two days after my university exams got over, that was May end, I got a confirmation from Biocon. I was going to be an intern in the HR Department. It was close to what I had aimed for and so I happily accepted. One month internship beginning June 17, 2016 at the Biocon headquarters in Bangalore.I arrived in Electronic City, Bangalore two days early and settled in a Paying Guest that I had found online with the help of a friend. The struggles of my stay at the PG is a blog post on its own (The Life And Lies Of A Paying Guest ).

On my first day in Biocon, I discovered that the company had three campuses and my PG was not as close to the office where I was going to be working. I had to take the shuttle between the Biocon campuses every morning and evening. On the first day at the HR Department, I was introduced to the team and given a work desk. I was on Cloud 9! Everyone was very warm and welcoming. I slowly learned the work flow. My office was concerned with recruiting positions for the Biocon field force all over India. As a Biotech and a Pharmaceutical firm we naturally needed a lot of field sales representatives. Screening hundreds of incoming emails from candidates and matching them with the job description, salary and experience level was no simple task. I saw the team do it effortlessly like true professionals and did I mention I was an intern in the HR Department. The swag they had was that of Jessica Pearson and Donna from Suits, COMBINED!

My internship allowed me to transform myself from someone who feared phone calls with strangers to someone who did about five basic phone interviews with candidates who matched the job profiles. As I got better and more helpful, I was assigned more tasks and I loved every bit of it. Coffee breaks were the best. They were like short episodes on Adulting 101 where everyone talked about their life, struggles and how to solve everyday problems. They were all in their late twenties or thirties and had made it to one of the best firms so I could rest assured that they knew what they were doing.In my third week of internship, we had an office party to celebrate some promotions. I can say that was the most fun I had at a party with a lot of strangers and my ride back was an interesting one too, where I overcame my fear of small talk (The Not So Small: Small Talk). I had grown as a person during my one month in Bangalore.

Bangalore or any other city for that matter, grinds you, the traffic is merciless. The area, Electronic city was filled with industries and didn't have the neighborhood friendly cafes that I had dreamed of. But that's where the difference between movies and reality lies.Hakuna Matata is an optimistic blog but we cannot compromise the reality for the price of positivity. They both go hand in hand.

Overall it was a much-needed trailer of the reality that is life, that every student deserves to experience before they complete their undergraduate degree. This was my story and while you may think my struggles were big, now, as I look back at them I find them very irrelevant and small in the bigger and greater aspects of life. My best friend Anjana, for example, had applied to  ten internships and after all her hard work she got accepted into an all expense covered internship in Japan in the National Institute of Genetics. 

To conclude this blog post, I will say keep dreaming, take risks, hustle hard and you will surely achieve your goals. The real success lies outside your comfort zone so keep throwing yourself in uncomfortable situations like I did because that uncomfortable zone is the place which allows you to metamorph into adulthood,

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank my friend Sai Pooja's dad without who I would not have gotten that first contact. Sometimes a sinking Rose just needs that little support to survive ;) (And yes, she survived without Jack. No, you don't die from heartbreak).

If anyone from Biocon stumbles upon this blog, I would like to thank the entire HR team at Biocon House that mentored me during my stay. We need more companies in this country with a work ethic like that of Biocon.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. If you found it relatable or inspirational please let me know and share it with your friends. You can subscribe to my blog to get notified via email every time I post on my blog. Thanks for reading and keep smiling.

Signing off,
-Nishma Khetia