There has been a long silence in this space for quite sometime now. No chronicling of travels or a narration of thoughts as they unfurl in my head. No excited eurekas of discovery on reaching beautiful new lands. Just silence. A reflection of how I feel on the inside too. A quiet sense of contentment.

While a part of me does feel guilty for not writing more, I’m happy to look back on the months that have passed in a blur of memorable moments, happy highs and a joyous feeling of being busy with work and life. That urging need to ‘get away’ constantly has given way to a peaceful sense of exploration and a feeling of gratitude for an everyday life that we actually don’t want to escape from. My once restless feet find more joy in curling up in a pretty nook in the neighbourhood or bird-watching from our balcony while sipping on tea. Watching the sun go down day after day from our window. Sitting on the banks of a lake, our feet dangling down, omlette pavs in our hands. Exploring a new road in a village and discovering sights of unbearable beauty that makes me break into haikus. Walking across an unused bridge that overlooks a pristine riverside scene. Parking ourselves on a bench on the manicured lawns of some of the most magnificent churches in Asia, just to gape in awe and watch people around us go about their lives. Finding a serene mangrove paradise on an island. Hunting for the best chai and bhaji this side of town. Each evening is a new quest for the small things that bring us joy. Each evening renews our sense of wonder for this world.

As nauseatingly sappy and maudlin as that may sound, that’s how I feel inside. Like a big melted pool of happy mush. Is there such a thing as too much happiness? Life has settled into a comfortable routine. There’s so much work coming my way that I’m in a place where I can choose what I want to spend my time doing. Our days are a comfortable pattern of working hard, discovering new music, reading together in silence on the couch, the occasional luxury of afternoon siestas and most importantly, a sense of effortless companionship in each other’s presence, despite spending 24 hours with each other. Like an old couple living a peaceful life of retirement.

And then evening comes and entices us by showing us a delightful cinema of sorts through our windows. Puffy clouds beckon, a gentle breeze entices and chirpy birds taunt us until we just have to stop doing everything else and go out to explore the world around us that bids farewell to the end of each day with such fanfare. A simple world we chose for ourselves and have completely fallen in love with. It helps that we live in the Goan hinterland and are surrounded by the lush beauty of the Konkan region, with so many places to stand and stare, just within a radius of five kilometres from our home.

Here’s a glimpse into that world of languorous, unhurried evenings, where there exists a river, idyllic islands, fields, misty hills, lakes, mangroves, birds, sunsets, a wide-eyed sense of wonder and an endless pursuit of happiness in the little moments.

View the photos on Flickr.