It’s been an interesting journey, these last few years.  Since that 2nd of Feb 2004 when Pumpkin was born, every thing really revolved around her needs for the longest time.  Ma was quite involved in Pumpkin’s up-bringing for the first year or two.  However, her health started deteriorating rapidly, soon after.  Some time around early 2006, the rollercoaster of our Life started gaining momentum…

First it was a weekend getaway, then a short-haul vacation that had to be cancelled at the last minute.  Then, came some more surprises by way of Ma’s health, my back surgery and even Pumpkin’s health.  More trips, planned weeks or months in advance, soon started getting cancelled just days away from takeoff.  Then, we got pregnant again.  I was recovering from my back operation during the first two trimesters, and we couldn’t travel anywehere in the last.  Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse, Ma suffered an acute asthma attack combined with a massive cardiac arrest.

All in all, over a span of two and a half years, we’d cancelled planned vacations about 7 times, 5-6 being on consecutive occassions!  So much so, that we were beginning to believe that planning or announcing a holiday was itself a jinx.  Not to talk about losses by way of cancellation fees, on each occassion.  During all this time, parenting duties and dealing with medical emergencies kept us busier that we would’ve liked to be, making the “need” for a vacation even more significant.

We did manage to make it to a small holiday with both the kids, and that was fun!  But, not quite the same as getting any time for just the two of us.

Finally, after much deliberation but on an impulse, we decided to take a trip to Thailand for a few days, minus the kids.  Ma’s health was stable for now.  Pumpkin was old enough to stay with her grandparents, and Tiger was young enough to not miss us too much, being occupied by the full-time domestic help who he’d grown to like.

So, I got all the tickets and visas and hotel bookings arranged.  And, did extensive research on what to do when we reach there.  And, we were scheduled for takeoff on the 15th of Apr 2009.  Of course, as luck would have it, just days before our departure, Thailand faced political protests in Pattaya and Bangkok.  I also came down with a bad muscle spasm in my back which saw me bed-ridden for a few days.  An x-ray and an orthopedic visit confirmed that medicines and rest would get me back on my feet, but there were no such guarantees about the Red Brigade of protestors storming the streets of Bangkok, asking for the PM to resign.

Reluctantly – very reluctantly – we cancelled all our bookings in Thailand, and wondered what we could do, locally, at such a short notice, given that it was peak summer-vacation travel season in India… 

Finally, we settled on our second-home : Goa.  We’d been to Goa so many, many times, and so loved coming back each year.  But, this time, it would be different.  For the first time in 5 years, it would be a vacation for just the two of us.  Frankly, we were not just worried for the kids, but also wondered whether we would survive being away from the kids or not!  But we took the courage to go ahead with the plan… knowing fully that we may not get this opportunity for a long time to come…

The last 3 days in Goa has been a surreal experience, to say the least.  Until this trip, getting a few “minutes” to ourselves was kinda impossible.  But here, entire days have been spent on doing what we love to do the most… without interruptions.  So, whether it’s heading out to Souza Lobo’s for prawn curry rice or pottering around Baga market on a scooter, every thing is different with and without kids.  Even lazing around in the room on a sweltering summer day is so much more peaceful and calming, when you don’t have to deal with something or the other every few minutes.

Of course, missing the kids is natural – we spend all our time with them, while in Bombay.  But, this was a much, much-needed vacation.  And, I’m glad we were able to do this.  In fact, in many ways, going to Thailand would’ve been far more hectic, not allowing us this much time to catch up with each other!

Tomorrow, we take the flight home… But, the memories of this short holiday in Goa will stay with us for years to come…

P.S. This was written on the new Lenovo Ideapad S10, while in Goa!

P.P.S : Coming home to a really warm welcome to the kids was such an experience in itself!  Tiger was practically dancing with joy when he saw us come through the door, and Pumpkin was categorical in how much she “missed” both of us… In her own inimitable style, she described it as “from here till South America”!!!