Travel

The Road to Vegas & The Road Back

April 24, 2016ByteSize, Travel Talesarrival, blogger, Departures, driving, highway, India, instapassport, lasvegas, latergram, Love, passion, quote, renewal, Roadtrip, sfo, Travel, traveladdict, travelblogger, traveller, USA, vegas, wanderlust

It was evening.

The road from San Francisco to Las Vegas stretched endlessly—a ride that felt like it had started in another lifetime. Smooth, uneventful, devoid of the delightful chaos of an Indian highway.

No bulls appearing out of nowhere, no tractors playing chicken—just long, sweeping roads with scenery that tried its best to keep things interesting.

But ahead lay Las Vegas—a city of stories, possibilities, and whispered legends. Excitement pulsed through us, and for a moment, even the car engine seemed to hum in anticipation.

And then, I saw them—the cars leaving Vegas, heading home. Their passengers, wrapped in a quiet emptiness, faces drained of whatever the night had held.

That’s when a line from English, August floated back into my mind:

“The ecstasy of the arrival never compensates for the emptiness of the departure.”

I smiled. Because some truths, like the Vegas skyline, glow even in the dark.

(at Las Vegas, Nevada)

The Beat of Tradition, The Dance of Renewal

April 22, 2016ByteSize, Travel Talesalagar, azhagar, blogger, Blogging, chithiraifestival, culture, Dance, destinations, farmers, Festivals, folklore, instapassport, Madurai, music, renewal, Rural, tamilnadu, tradition, Travel, traveladdict, travelblogger, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust

You can’t miss the beats—they travel miles, weaving through memory and the moment.

Folklore spills onto the streets of Madurai, as rural dancers take center stage—bare-chested, bells jingling, raw energy flowing. Nothing polished, nothing rehearsed. Just movement, music, and meaning.

This is Chithirai Festival.

There’s no perfect synchrony, no scripted spectacle for the screen. Yet, there’s joy. A gay abandon of culture, faith, and spontaneous rhythm. A festival that isn’t just performed—it’s felt.

A new warp and weft to an old tradition.

A treat to the senses. A soothing of the soul. A renewal—of memories, of roots, of fresh dreams taking flight.

Between Shore and Open Water: The Feeling of Readiness

April 20, 2016ByteSize, Travel Talesanxiety, beach, boat, challenge, coach, commonman, conversation, effort, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Happiness, incredibleindia, Joy, Leadership, Life, makeadifference, mentor, oars, optimism, partner, peace, practice, ready, ride, sea, startup, Tourism, Travel, wisdom

When the waters kiss the boat, not with tenderness but with stern energy, you feel it—the pull of the unknown.

The shore, once a quiet safety net, now feels distant. The boat wobbles, unbothered by its passengers. And deep within, a thousand butterflies take flight.

Yet, there’s something else—a rush, a charge in your veins. It’s the feeling of being young, alive, and on the edge of something new. It’s the moment when life shifts.

Your hands grip the oars, the water pushes back. You take the first stroke—and the lake seems to gird its loins in response.

A thin smile escapes furrowed brows. Because this moment? You’ve worked for it.

You’re ready for the ride.

The Space for Choice

April 19, 2016ByteSizeblogger, challenge, Choice, contentmarketing, effort, entrepreneurship, kiss, Love, mastery, motivation, practice, pressure, purpose, response, smile, startup, stimulus, Travel, travelblogger, viktorfrankl, wanderlust, World

Between stimulus and response, there is always choice.

Viktor Frankl’s words echo in my mind today. A reminder that no matter what the world throws at us—deadlines, debates, demands—we get to decide how we respond.

Yes, there is always more to do. More calls, meetings, decisions, and battles. And in many ways, that’s a good thing. It gives purpose, it fuels momentum, it energizes.

The trick is to go after it with joy and abandon.

To choose to smile—not because the day is easy, but because you own your response.

So go ahead. Kiss the world.

How Travel Changes You: The Places We Carry Within

April 19, 2016ByteSize, Travel TalesLotus tank, Madurai, quotes, Travel

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.”

Anita Desai

Travel isn’t just about seeing new places. It’s about letting those places shape you. The streets you walk, the faces you meet, the air you breathe—it all settles into your being, often without you realizing it.

Some places leave an imprint instantly—a breathtaking view, a conversation with a stranger, a meal that lingers in memory long after the taste has faded. Others work quietly, weaving themselves into your thoughts over time, surfacing in moments of nostalgia.

And then there are places that shift something within—they change how you see the world, how you respond to life, how you define home.

A mountain trek might teach you patience. A bustling city may reveal resilience. A quiet village could remind you of simplicity. Wherever you go, something stays with you.

You don’t just visit places—you carry them forward. In memories, in perspective, in the way you tell your stories.

And in the end, perhaps the real journey is realizing that you never return as the same person who left.

One Fact, Many Views: How Perspective Shapes Reality

April 18, 2016ByteSize, Travel Talesanxiety, beach, challenge, coach, commonman, conversation, effort, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Happiness, incredibleindia, Joy, Leadership, Life, makeadifference, mentor, optimism, partner, peace, practice, ready, startup, Tourism, Travel, view, Vision, wisdom

There is one fact. There is one view. And then there’s another. And another. In truth, there are many.

The fault lies not in seeing differently, but in believing our view is the only one.

Our biases quietly shape what we see. They tint our lens, colour our reality, and limit our understanding. But the moment we recognise this, we create space for perspective.

To see things in better light, we must first acknowledge that another light exists.

So, what are you looking at today?

More importantly—how are you looking at it?

The Courage to Leave Shores and Find Yourself

April 13, 2016ByteSize, Travel Talesarabiansea, beach, commonman, conversation, dailylife, daytoday, difference, diveagar, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Happiness, human, humansofindia, incredibleindia, India, inspirations, Joy, Love, maharashtra, makeadifference, partner, ppeace, sea, simple, smile, Tourism, Travel, wanderlust, winter

When you leave sight of a shore, new adventures unfold. Yet, adventure comes at a cost—the courage to override fear.

The fear of loss. The fear of pain. Some fears are unfounded, others practical. But neither should anchor us in place.

Life finds its renewal in the courage to seek new shores. The willingness to step into the unknown—to let curiositylead, even when familiarity begs us to stay.

In this seeking, new journeys emerge. With new journeys, new insights arrive. And somewhere along the way, we find new eyes, a new mind, a new way of being.

So, go travel. Beyond places. Beyond comfort. Beyond what you know.

Because the real journey isn’t to a new place. It’s to a new you.

(at Diveagar, Maharashtra, India)

Choosing Your Bench: How Perspective Shapes Action

April 7, 2016ByteSizeAdventure, bench, blogger, Blogging, chair, destinations, entrepreneurship, entreprenuer, instapassport, instatravel, Life, Love, mandela, Nature, passion, position, quotes, sit, stance, stand, startup, Travel, traveladdict, travelblogger, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust

“Where you stand depends on where you sit.” Nelson Mandela’s words ring true.

So, where do you sit? At the edge of a river, watching the water flow? On a mountain ledge, lost in its vastness? In a manicured park, or amidst the wild, untamed grass of a forest?

Do you sit in a glass cabin, looking down? Or among the people, standing up to plough, to sow, to build?

Often, where we sit is just about finding a bench. But maybe, we should choose our bench wisely—one that offers a view that fuels our passion.

Because when we stand, we work on what truly matters.

Pitching Tents and Choosing Views: A Lesson in Life

April 2, 2016ByteSize, Travel Talesadventures, blogger, Blogging, destinations, hike, instapassport, instatravel, live, mountains, Nature, sky, tent, Travel, traveladdict, travelblogger, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, trek, trekking, wanderlust

No walls, no ceilings—just a thin layer of fabric separating you from the stars. Want a better view? Just roll out.

As we camped in the mountains, one thing became clear—where you pitch your tent matters. The view, the experience, the journey—it all depends on where you choose to stop.

And isn’t that how life works?

We pitch our tents in different places. New places. Yet, no matter where we go, it’s always under the same vast blue sky.

Because in the end, the sky itself is our big blue tent.

Walking into the Sun: The Shadows That Shape Us

March 30, 2016ByteSizeblogger, Blogging, destinations, fun, instapassport, instatravel, jung, jungian, Leadership, Life, light, Living, Love, management, psychology, shadow, Travel, traveladdict, travelblogger, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust, wisdom

When we walk facing the Sun, we cast shadows. They aren’t us, yet they exist because of us—formed by light falling on us.

On the ground, shadows are real, visible, exaggerated—a simple distortion of form. But the ones that fall in our minds? Those are far more dangerous.

In Jungian psychology, the shadow self represents the unconscious, darker side of personality—the fears, insecurities, and untold stories that shape how we see the world.

These inner shadows whisper narratives—about who we are, what we deserve, and what’s possible. And often, it’s those stories that define our future.

So, what shadows fall in your mind?

And more importantly—are they telling the truth?