After a long wait - it's been super worth it. Loved this. Your writing made me slow down - even my speed reading became easy and soft paced :) my first read.of 2022! :)
Lovely, smooth read as always, Ila! I love how you have balanced the specific appeal of Ecolodge with the different aspects of slow travel. Makes for a wholesome essay!
I am now going to think long and hard about hill-stations and the possibility of working from there. xD
I cannot imagine how would it be to sit and work near mountains or anything picturesque. I am so glad to see you are working at a place where this is possible.
I couldn’t care less about separation of work and personal leisure as long as we get peeks like this in your travels. I know, selfish. We all travel with you and it is creepy for you may be but I can assure you, for all the readers it is just beautiful, so thank you for that. I was about to ask for more photos but with words like the ones you choose, we'd be fine.
Last but most important - we all know you have to address the most important part of your trip someday….Yes, I am talking about shithead. Keep writing Ila and even if you don’t want to write at some point, I hope you continue travelling…always. Cheers!
Thank you so much for always being so kind 💜 This is the sweetest comment to start the year with! I have so many photos from the trip that I couldn’t decide which ones to include, haha. Thanks for pushing me to get this post out and not keep sitting on it!
Kept thinking if this is all too much but then decided what the heck, let it be too much. I mean it is ok if it is not ok but I am ok. What I am saying is - next post is when? :)
Lovely. I liked how this piece touched on aspects that is not seen in a travel piece on the MSM. For instance, the necessary caveats around the need for discipline and routine. I can't imagine the will power it takes to keep your gaze on the screen instead of the peaks.
But I guess some of that is just conditioning, I suppose i.e. Unlike the locals, we - the city dwellers - have always associated the mountains with a more idyllic life. So it's a bit jarring as the tedium of work and routine creeps into the frame.
The question in my head then is whether I would want to get more of the mountains into my life and risk losing its idyllic charm or as you say, keep them separate.
Tough call - but it would be interesting to see how it pans out at your end.
Thank you so much, Shyam! 😊 Yeah, I’ve wondered along similar lines when it comes to travel - whether I’d like to be on the road all the time (the digital nomad life) or keep it separate - something to look forward to as a break from routine work, versus travel itself becoming routine. I guess there are pros and cons to both. I’m still hopeful of moving out of the city to a more idyllic place in the future - I suppose you well get to know how this pans out via my newsletter 😉 Thank you for reading!
I am definitely guilty of living with some of these idealized notions of workationing in the hills. Will remember this piece everytime I feel the urge to flee now 🙈
Hahah, we all are! Even me, now that I'm back in the city 😅 Still worth experiencing though, as it also has its perks and can vary person to person based on how disciplined they are and the nature of their work.
This is amazing Ila. Very well written!!
Thank you so much, Puneet 💜
Loved it!
Thank you, Prasanna 💜
After a long wait - it's been super worth it. Loved this. Your writing made me slow down - even my speed reading became easy and soft paced :) my first read.of 2022! :)
Thank you so much, Uday 💜😊
Thanks Ila, lovely read and refreshing perspective on the benefits and challenges in working from a remote, beautiful place.
Thank you, Harshil 😊
Lovely, smooth read as always, Ila! I love how you have balanced the specific appeal of Ecolodge with the different aspects of slow travel. Makes for a wholesome essay!
I am now going to think long and hard about hill-stations and the possibility of working from there. xD
Thank you so much, Sarthak 💜
This is such a beautiful remembering of the mountains, Ila. I haven’t been to the mountains since 2019 and this really helps :D
Thanks, Manmeet 💜 I hope you get to visit soon!
I cannot imagine how would it be to sit and work near mountains or anything picturesque. I am so glad to see you are working at a place where this is possible.
I couldn’t care less about separation of work and personal leisure as long as we get peeks like this in your travels. I know, selfish. We all travel with you and it is creepy for you may be but I can assure you, for all the readers it is just beautiful, so thank you for that. I was about to ask for more photos but with words like the ones you choose, we'd be fine.
Last but most important - we all know you have to address the most important part of your trip someday….Yes, I am talking about shithead. Keep writing Ila and even if you don’t want to write at some point, I hope you continue travelling…always. Cheers!
Thank you so much for always being so kind 💜 This is the sweetest comment to start the year with! I have so many photos from the trip that I couldn’t decide which ones to include, haha. Thanks for pushing me to get this post out and not keep sitting on it!
Kept thinking if this is all too much but then decided what the heck, let it be too much. I mean it is ok if it is not ok but I am ok. What I am saying is - next post is when? :)
<cattypingfuriously.gif> #soonerthansoon
So cool. I like this gif.
Lovely. I liked how this piece touched on aspects that is not seen in a travel piece on the MSM. For instance, the necessary caveats around the need for discipline and routine. I can't imagine the will power it takes to keep your gaze on the screen instead of the peaks.
But I guess some of that is just conditioning, I suppose i.e. Unlike the locals, we - the city dwellers - have always associated the mountains with a more idyllic life. So it's a bit jarring as the tedium of work and routine creeps into the frame.
The question in my head then is whether I would want to get more of the mountains into my life and risk losing its idyllic charm or as you say, keep them separate.
Tough call - but it would be interesting to see how it pans out at your end.
Anyways, lovely piece. Please keep writing.
- Shyam
Thank you so much, Shyam! 😊 Yeah, I’ve wondered along similar lines when it comes to travel - whether I’d like to be on the road all the time (the digital nomad life) or keep it separate - something to look forward to as a break from routine work, versus travel itself becoming routine. I guess there are pros and cons to both. I’m still hopeful of moving out of the city to a more idyllic place in the future - I suppose you well get to know how this pans out via my newsletter 😉 Thank you for reading!
informative write up
Thanks, Hitesh!
Thanks for taking us through your trip Ila. Loved the picture you painted. :) Keep writing
Thank you so much, Tippu 💜
This makes me want to head to the mountains right now. Lovely write up Ila.
Thank you Binu 💜 Hope you get to go very soon!
Shithead!!! You've sent me down memory lane of days playing that totally underrated game in the hills 🤩
Haha! So thrilled to hear you know the game 😄 We better set up a Shithead marathon session soon!!
Such a lovely read Ila! Wish I read it sooner. And wow! I didn't know you wrote a few articles for Lonely Planet! That is super cool! :D
Will read those now as well. Can't wait to read whatever you have in store next !
Thanks Bhaskar 💜
I am definitely guilty of living with some of these idealized notions of workationing in the hills. Will remember this piece everytime I feel the urge to flee now 🙈
Hahah, we all are! Even me, now that I'm back in the city 😅 Still worth experiencing though, as it also has its perks and can vary person to person based on how disciplined they are and the nature of their work.
Great Post! I was unaware about this concept of 'slow travel'. Thanks for the introduction!
Thanks Priya! 😊
Ila you write with a passion , engrossing, great pictures, and ultimately cannot go wrong with Billy Joel
Thank you for the kind words! 💜