What are the ingredients of a great holiday?

Family – A visit to Mysuru is a stay with my in-laws, a visit to the Reiki House – ie my in-laws home that also doubles as a Reiki Healing service centre. My in-laws have had outstanding success as healers. Their customers come from far and wide. We are used to seeing tattooed Italians to local police chiefs seek them out for their healing powers. A visit to your parents need not have any exciting events to make it memorable. Just staying together for a few days, letting them experience the presence of their grand-daughter creates simple yet wonderful memories. It gives parents an opportunity to re-live the joy of cooking for their kids and now their grand-kids. My mother-in-law is adept at both cooking and using the food delivery apps. We had the joy of experiencing both the lovely food she cooked and the convenience of food delivery.

Exercise – I love the space to exercise in my in-laws home. I enjoyed the run around the locality. The circular route through Gokulam Main Road via contour road back to Reiki house is exactly 2 Kms. The runs accompanied by Ananya on some days followed by some intense work with the kettlebell and dumbbells made me less guilty about all the food I was consuming. I am also nursing tight glutes on one side, a result of the long sitting hours at work, which I hope will release with the exercises and the rolling I managed to do in Mysore. The skipping ropes and the massage ball do make me feel better. Given I didn’t have much of any agenda, the time to exercise was an extremely happy outcome during this trip.

Traffic – The absence of heavy traffic in Mysore makes it easy to get around, although the chaos of the growing two wheeler and car population, weaving around with absolute disregard to basic traffic rules, merely pointing their vehicle in the direction they are headed is a growing menace to the peace of the city. The drivers follow a mindless “fill the gap first” approach on the roads. The manner in which drivers take the shortest path to make a turn often means they are in your lane, if you are approaching from the opposite direction.

Reading – I enjoyed reading Scotland Street 44 which I finished reading while in Mysuru, started “Why We Sleep” which is an absolute revelation, re-read parts of “A gentleman in Moscow” and also purchased another book on the history of India by J Sai Deepak.

Spiritual knowledge – My father-in-law plays the TV for many hours in the day browsing through various spiritual discourses on the Advaita philosophy. I gleaned many interesting points from some very eloquent speakers, mainly that the learning is not when we are exposed to the wisdom but in those moments that life challenges us giving us opportunities to apply the wisdom.

Tracing my roots – It was also interesting to get Ananya to visit “Headquarters” as the house is always referred to by my father and his brothers, his maternal grandfather’s home which will soon be 100 years old (in 2027) and now inhabited by my father’s cousin who carries forward the spiritual and religious traditions that has been the cornerstone of that household, a place where my father spent many a day, looking up to his uncle PR Hariharan, who was a towering personality of his time, revered by all and one in the family. I also visited my eldest cousin, Anand and was visited by another cousin, Ganesh making this trip memorable in more ways than one, fostering those family connections.

Food – I had so many dosas in Mysore. Ananya and I had breakfast in a new cafe almost every morning. Our ritual of waking up and going out to find breakfast was one of the simple joys of the trip.

Friends – It was a bonus to have friends visit while we were in Mysuru allowing us to throw in a trip to the Mysore Palace and enjoy the winter flower show giving us some wonderful photo opportunities.

A visit to Mysuru is never just a trip—it’s a soulful retreat that blends the warmth of family, the richness of heritage, and the joy of life’s simple pleasures. Whether it’s reliving history at “Headquarters,” savoring countless dosas, or finding joy in a local run, every experience weaves itself into an album of cherished memories. Mysuru, with its relaxed rhythm of life, reminds me to slow down, reconnect with my roots, and find joy in the ordinary. As I look back, this trip stands out not because of grand events but because of the countless little moments that brought immense joy—a reminder that life’s true treasures lie in togetherness, an effort to connect with people, and the stories we create along the way.