Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Monterey Bay Aquarium

There is something about bright colored fishes that makes me very happy. One of the best aquariums I have ever visited is the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey. Located on the Cannery Row of the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Monterey CA, this place attracts 1.8 million visitors every year. 

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing exotic fishes of various shapes and sizes. They were beautiful and so special. Some were calm and floating around, others agitated, excited, aggressive and hostile. It was interesting to take a peek into their fishy world.  My favorite section in the aquarium was the special jelly fish exhibition. I was absolutely awestruck by their beauty and exotic types. Each one was unique and so delicate. Floating around in the clear blue water, the orange jelly fishes took my breath away.  It's definitely an exhibition worth seeing, don't miss it! 

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our visit, hope you like them: 










Moon Jelly
Moon Jelly
Moon Jelly
Egg yolk Jelly
Egg Yolk Jelly 
Egg Yolk Jelly
Orange Jelly
Orange Jelly
Orange Jelly
Orange Jellies
Orange Jellies
Orange Jellies
Orange Jelly
Orange Jelly
Crystal Jelly

Monday, January 21, 2013

Mohonk Mountain House

Siddharth and I decided to take a day trip to the Mohonk Mountain House this long weekend. It's 90 miles north of New York city and perfect for a weekend getaway or just a day trip.

The Mohonk Mountain House is a beautiful Victorian castle built on cliffs above the lake Mohonk. Perched on top of a cliff, this resort offers spectacular views, charming rooms, excellent spa services and various activities for everyone. It's a place to truly relax and getaway from the craziness of the city. The best part - their rooms don't have a TV. If one wants, one can really unplug themselves from the outside world and enjoy the serenity all around.

We visited the resort in the winters and there was snow all around. It was beautiful and very peaceful. The spa service was excellent and a perfect place to lounge around during the day. I am sure the resort would be spectacular in the summers too once the flowers are in full bloom.

Here are some photos, if you'd like to see...
















Wednesday, January 2, 2013

New Year Resolutions (or not)

Happy New Year everybody!!! Welcome back from the holidays.

I love welcoming in the new year but hate making resolutions. I feel like we don't need Jan1st of 20XX to make the same promises to ourselves about things which we should be doing anyways. We get all excited and make resolutions at the beginning of the year but somewhere down the road the excitement fades, the resolutions are compromised and we are back to square one. So there you have it all. That's how I feel about New Year Resolutions!!

We are always so eager to make resolutions, to make it bigger, better and wanting more, that we forget to acknowledge and give ourselves credit for all that we have and all the good we did. This year I would like to start 2013 by giving myself credit for the all things that I did well last year.

Meditate More

Source: landsofwisdom.com
I've been meditating for over a year now and following the art of mindful living. Last year I took it up a notch and plunged into a 10 day silent meditation retreat called Vipassana. I observed " noble silence" - that is, silence of body, speech and mind for 10 days. It was the hardest challenge of my life and I emerged a winner, feeling happier, lighter and more at peace. I want to take a minute to acknowledge this wonderful experience and thank myself for my continued efforts to make my practice better.


Be Grateful

Source: google.com/images
This past year I have learnt to find joy in small things. To appreciate more of what I have and fret less about what I don't. We often have a long list of things we want, a better job, a bigger house, more money, more clothes, more of this and more of that. In the quest to achieve more, we forget to appreciate what we already have. Being grateful for what I have gives me immense happiness. This past year I made it a daily practice to remind myself of the small miracle in my life.


Slay your Dragons


Source: google.com/images
We all have our dragons (fears) that stop us from achieving what we want to achieve. That inner voice, that tells us, "you are not good at it", "it's too late to start", " are you sure you can do this" these are all our fears. Our ego wanting to keep us safe, to protect us. I had and still have plenty of dragons in my closet. Last year I decided to slay a few. I went on dates with my self to do things I was scared of the most. I took my camera and explored unknown territories. I drew more, i wrote poems and blogs, I accepted change. I silenced the voices in me that kept saying "I am not a good writer, that I suck at drawing, that there are much better photographers than me, that it's too late to learn how to dance". I slew my dragons and embarked on the unknown journey. I was scared but you what, it was fun to explore the artist in me.

And as we usher into 2013 I'd like to follow my bliss, take more chances and face my fears. There, that is my new year resolution if you will!

So, tell me did you make any new year resolutions? What's the thing you are proud of you did last year? What are you working on improving this year? I'd love to hear from you.