Prakash Kumar

🌟 The last day of 2024 feels like the perfect moment to pause and reflect on what has been an unexpected and transformative year. As I look back, I vividly remember the final week of 2023, entering 2024 with moderate enthusiasm and a sense of steady anticipation. However, the year unraveled in ways I could not have predicted, bringing challenges on professional, personal, and familial fronts from the very first week of January.  🎒 The year unfolded as a mixed bag of deep experiences and travel. There were highlights, including one international trip, three visits to Goa, several visits to Delhi, and journeys to Uttarakhand and Sikkim. Yet, these moments of travel and exploration contrasted with an overarching sense of internal reflection and reconciliation. 🛑 2024 became a "Pause Year" for me—a time of slowing down, both physically and mentally, to prepare for the next decade of life. It was a year marked by introspection, as I grappled with errors, unmet expectations, ...

From the pages of my old diary, dated 1.05.2014, 22:23: I find myself traversing a critical juncture in my life. Having completed 50 vibrant years and on the brink of turning 51, I am acutely aware of a palpable sense that something vital is missing. The exact nature of this absence eludes me, casting a restlessness and causing a noticeable dip in concentration. Life in Patna is relatively settled, with a fulfilling job soon marking its fourth year. The passing of Cecilia dealt a profound blow, a lingering sadness that calls into question the purpose behind our toil in navigating life's intricacies. There's a tug between embracing more of life or seeking solace in spirituality. The path is unclear, and the motivation sporadic. Restlessness sometimes reaches such heights that I yearn for refuge, leading to irritations that take weeks to dissipate. I grapple with deciphering the signals—lust, an inner desire to find meaning in halting meaningless work—confused by the jolting of ...

My Travel Diary of East Africa: An adventure of a life time through some of the breathtaking landscapes, culture and people in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zanzibar I have been wanting to take an adventurous trip to Africa for several years, and I had planned to travel by road from Cairo to Cape Town, crossing 13 countries in 49 days. My plan was to fly to Cairo from Delhi, then drive through Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, and then fly back to Delhi from Cape Town. I was planning to depart in April 2020, but I had to modify my plans to leave out Egypt and Sudan and fly to Addis Ababa instead, and return from Cape Town to Delhi. I started preparing for the trip and got a yellow fever vaccination on January 20, but then the COVID-19 pandemic happened and all my plans were put on hold. The plan was, A) Addis Ababa to Uganda via Omo valley, Marsabit, Nandi hills, Eldoret, Kampala (2000 km) Kampal...

     One thing which invariably puts extra life in me is travel. Travel anywhere! In India, outside India , to rural areas , urban areas, to mountains , plains, to sea coast or just driving on the road. It is one thing that is close to my heart and as I age it is getting more intense and I wanted to do it more and too often. Whether there is a company or not it does not matter, just travel solo as a soul traveler, with friends, family and colleagues. And it is just travel for which I am most consistent in my life. I covered a quite lot of places in India and abroad. But the more I travel more intense it become. I am all for it.      During corona time I was stuck at Patna in March and having a long time with family but I miss my usual self when I travel for learning and unlearning.  I travel not for a purpose but just purposely travel to new and some places which I keep repeating and that one place is Ramgarh , Nainital where my antarman dwells. I am v...