writer’s block, my favorite time of year, and talking to everyone

Hi there! I’m back from an almost 3 month blogging hiatus. Some of it was hesitancy to put words to paper, a privacy concern, and some of it was just plain busyness. This time of the year is by far my favorite. Not only are these last few months of the year the time for all the US based holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it’s also the time of the year for the Indian holidays and events like Garba  and Diwali. This year I missed that time of year all because I was… in Italy! A ten day family trip on a  six city guided tour through Italy was just what I had been waiting ( and saving my vacation time) for all year. It’s funny how we can have an image of a famous site in our minds based on media, but the true site is completely different.  I took way too many pictures ( well you can’t ever have enough of Italy), had amazing conversations with the fellow tourists from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and the US, and  thoroughly enjoyed myself. Among the forty group members, I met two newlywed couples on their honeymoon, a mother of a tsunami victim, three educators,  and other several successful individuals with stories of their own. It was great to hear the experiences, stories and opinions of all the tour members on issues that really join us all no matter where we are in the world.  I’m a big believer in talking to everyone, no matter how shy or outgoing one can be, otherwise is can become a lost opportunity. Everyone has a lesson or a story to contribute. On the trip, the conversation flowed just as smoothly as our travel across the country. I’ve heard many times before that talking to strangers is sometimes easier than talking to  friends or acquaintances simply because it becomes a new conversation in an unbiased setting.However, I always enjoy a good catch up session  and chance to learn something new with friends. With that said, I’m leaving on a little roadtrip to enjoy the holiday weekend with my family. Happy Thanksgiving!