18 Comments

Thanks for taking us on this Palampur trip. I did not know there were tulips in Himachal. May you get opportunities to travel to your heart's content and share them with us here !

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Thank you

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Reading आईना is such a meditative experience. In these times, when I'm hardly able to focus on a 500-word article without checking my WhatsApp messages, your newsletter gently holds my hand and takes me on a journey. Today, I was transported to Palampur.

Eagerly waiting to travel again with you!

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Thank you for the kind words (as always) Aditi. I haven’t felt like writing in a long time and pushed myself to get this out. Seeing your comment has made my day ❤️

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Thank God you pushed yourself :)

I promise many more comments, please keep writing!

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Loved every bit of it but this— "However, by now I have outgrown the idea of needing to be good at everything I do. It’s ok to do things for fun, for the experience of it, without needing to excel at it."—is what I needed to hear so badly. And thanks for taking us on this trip :-)

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Glad to hear it resonated with you. Letting go of the need to excel is so liberating! ✨

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Loved it. Especially since I've also been interested in Buddhism. Also the bit about not taking what people say about a place too seriously and spend time discovering places by asking people who live there what they like to do is a note self. Good to see you back Ila!

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Thanks for reading Ayush ☺️

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So happy to read new issue! Especially loved the description of your time at Cliffy's. Spending a few hours at mountain cafe, reading a book and sipping GLH Tea sounds divine. :D

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It was divine indeed, a perfect place to cozy up with a book! Thanks Rohan ☺️

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Please let the records show I am not going to ask ila to post more often. Please let the records also show that if she takes such a lovely (albeit short) trip and writes about it like this, the wait is worth it. Let the records also show that the picture of bulbs/flowers with angry clouds in the background is so good it made me look for an umbrella nearby.

Please also let the records show that I do not want to know if she could somehow manage to capture any sound of this place? The calm of the nunnery, the sitting and watching the world go by at the cafe and so much more - I am sure there was some background music to these places, just like there is a background music to all your posts, especially this - of calm, of regrouping and of a blessed existence.

Let the records show, Let the records show, Life is best, when lived slow.

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Please let the records show that even when Daddu sends no admonishments, his voice rings in my head, asking me why the hell I haven’t been writing! Please let the records show that it is such a delight to read his comments that are so poetic - often better than the post itself. Please let the records show that I am so grateful for your kindness since issue #1 of this newsletter. I haven’t felt like writing or sharing anything about my life publicly for a while but hearing from people like you makes pushing myself worth it.

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Really well written, Ila.

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Thanks Prasid 💜

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Reading your words fills me with joy, and longing, Ila. Another beautiful post, and another destination bookmarked. x

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Thank you for the kind words, Prerna 💜

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Great post, and thank you!

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