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| Good bye Basel |
New year is celebrated almost across the globe. Some places are famous for special firework shows. They are in virtual competition who can attract more crowd every year. People go to watch fireworks organised by city administration. People eat, drink, talk pass wished to others and come home early morning only to spend almost entire 1st day sleeping. Why this day is so special, I do not know. It is like any other day in a year. But we all suddenly look excited. Along with celebrations comes new year resolutions. Millions and billions resolutions are made, never to be completed. Thankfully, I realised it early and never made any resolutions. Well, actual reason could be that I am just too lazy to think :). I think a lot, but never find it easy to make the final call. I get thousands of ideas and things to do. But, which one to pick is a real tough problem. May be, it is because deep down I also enjoy the randomness and unpredictability of future. If, I know my future based on plans, life may be boring. I have always taken turns as life kept on turning and twisted. Thankfully, it has always worked for me. On start of a new year, some of things that somehow remain stuck in my volatile mind are worth a revisit.
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| Happy people- happy moments |
2014 has been a special year. Many things happened and life kept on changing for good. I started to write blogs again. I have been lazy in between, but somehow this time though remain active in my mind and come back to writing way more frequently than last few years. After a long time, I travelled alone. Big difference was, that this time I went to a new country, unknown place alone. n the beginning, I was not sure. Somehow I took the leap of faith and went from Switzerland to Bali. This completely changed meaning of “travel” for me. I believe some places have their own charm and they make travel beautiful. Bali was one of such places for me. Apart from meeting many different people from various countries, cultures and background, I made some good friends as well. It was an unforgettable experience.
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| Volcano Mount Batur, Bali |
Then came the point, I had to move out of Basel, Switzerland after wonder 5 and a half years. It almost became 1st home for me. Basel had a big impact on me and it introduced me to many wonderful people. They all made my time in Basel beautiful and they helped me become a better person. Maybe I never said it to them when I was with them, but my friends, thanks a lot for being a part of my life journey. Be happy, keep smiling and remain playful. Leaving Basel was special as next destination was uncertain. It gave that mixed feeling of anxiety and excitement. It was sure, no other place would feel the same as Basel.
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| Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch 😉 |
In between two jobs, the time of uncertainty, helped me to make a good and interesting choice. This thought has been there for a long time, but for some reason I never made it. While waiting for the assignment and admin tasks to finish, one day I decided to on a meditation camp. Before I knew, tickets and accommodation were booked and I was in this one of the most peaceful place, I have ever been to. That 1 week was a bliss. I have not felt that relaxed in years. This changed me in a new way. I felt my view towards life has changed. I still do not know changed in what way, but I only have a feeling that it has. At the end, time of uncertainty selected the right place and right time for me automatically. I hope to have some more beautiful experiences like this.
After some push and pull, I finally landed in Munich, Germany. I am not going write about it again. But, it is little better now than I felt when I wrote last about it. Nevertheless, I was thinking of another travel to happen, something like Bali. I was not sure, if Bali was special because I travelled alone, or because of people of Bali or the coincidence of meeting beautiful fellow travellers. Only time when I had “free days” was around Christmas and new year. I did not know where to go. I did not know based on what I should select my travel destination. At the end economics came to my help. I pocked the place, which was cheapest to reach. It came out to be Croatia! I was not sure, if this is a a good time to visit this place and will I enjoy it or not. But, then I did not have many choices from financial viewpoint. So, I booked the tickets and reached Croatia.
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| Lets meditate! 🙂 |
After celebrating Christmas with my friends in Munich, I started my journey to Croatia. Crossing Germany, Austria and Slovenia I finally reached Croatia after 12 hours of bus journey. It was late as I reached there at 2000 hrs. I was tired, but still for some reason I had some energy left to go to the city centre. I had a feeling that I would like this place. Once again, it happened that I came to a place, with which I felt connected to. Wile taking the walk in town streets, I realised that I am enjoying this walk. I was at some kind of peace. That walk calmed me from anxiety of unknown. It felt like I know this place and this place know me. I just need to find that lost connection, I need to rebuild that bridge, I need to revise that faded memory. I was returning back to my hotel after that walk with uncertainty, if those connection can be rebuild again. That is when I heard a voice wishing me “Namaste”. I was surprised to hear that voice in that new place. I turned around to see a person with wide smile; not just on his face but I could feel that smile in his heart too. He was running the cafe bar in town. I entered the cafe and it felt immediately that this is the place and people that will help me re-bridge those connections. And life was made beautiful once again by everybody whom I met there. That night I knew that I will start 2015 at this place and it is going to be wonderful.
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| Welcome 2015 |
Reflecting on the beautiful “happenings” organised and planned somehow a right times, I felt a strange happiness. It brought a smile on my face. This smile was made special on the start of 2015 by happy, smiling people around me. While I thank, all the people who contributed to enriching my life in 2014, blessed are the people who helped me welcome 2015 with more smiles and celebration. I hope that 2015 will bring more celebration , more smile, more joy in me that I can share with others.
In 2015, I hope I can also find a way for simple and happy living. It might be easier said than done. It reminds me of a joke and I hope such jokes will trace the path for me too.
The new man in town told Mulla Nasrudin, “I have come out here to make an honest living.” “WELL,” said the Mulla, “THERE’S NOT MUCH COMPETITION.”
Keep smiling.
Love
Arundeep Singh