aheli wanders

Today marks exactly one year since G and my last international trip. And what an epic “last” trip it was. For our belated honeymoon, we decided on an epic trip to Japan. Though reports of Covid-19 were trickling in, around the same time the CDC was cautioning against wearing masks (lolz), we felt confident. I… Read more: Japan Travel Diary

Oh Those Hostile Experiences Originally Posted in 2014 One of the joys of studying abroad is spending those first couple of days acclimating to your new home, taking in all the new sites and customs, then taking the first available cheap plane, train or automobile to the next destination. As a study abroad student in… Read more: #TB to those Dublin Adventures

This past weekend, I traveled back to Connecticut to celebrate Durga Puja– a jubilant multi-day celebration of the hindu goddess Durga. I’ve been attending these celebrations- filled with prayers, performances and most importantly, good food- since I was a little kid. But this year in particular was special because I brought G along for the first… Read more: Diving into Durga Puja

Most people worry about the first time they meet their significant other’s parents. I get it, first impressions can be rough. For me, I wasn’t worried about meeting G’s family. I was worried about actually making it to San Antonio to meet his family. December 2015 I had (in my future defense) just come back from… Read more: Meet the Parents

Santorini, Greece: April 2010 Back while I was studying in Edinburgh, Steph, Allie*, and I decided to take a cruise across Venice, Croatia and about five different Greek Islands. We had just finished a rather exhaustive finals period and we were looking forward a week of doing absolutely nothing. Our vacation routine was quite regimented.… Read more: The Donkey Tales from Santorini

One of my family’s favorite video clips features two Scottish comedians trapped in a Voice Recognition Elevator in Scotland. Upon entering the elevator, they notice this new fangled voice recognition technology and try, with increasing desperateness, to activate the elevator. Unfortunately, Voice Recognition software can’t recognize the Scottish brogue and the gentlemen are forced to repeat… Read more: Voice (Non)Recognition: Airline Edition

As some of you know my grandfather Anjan Kaku Dadu* passed away last month after a four year battle with cancer. I was in the process of writing down some of his past (mis)adventures, which he loved to share with a captive audience over a nice cup of cha and biscuits. I had hoped to… Read more: Leaping Over Luggage and Other Legacies: An Ode to Dr. Arindam Purkayastha

As I stepped onto the streets of Kolkata, a thrill surged through my veins, mingled with a subtle twinge of trepidation. Crossing the bustling Gariahat road, I found myself engaged in an enthralling game of human frogger. Here, at the intersection of five roads, a symphony of chaos unfolded before my eyes. Buses, auto-rickshaws, bikes,… Read more: Human Frogger or Crossing the Street in Kolkata

When I first started “blogging” back in 2007, I had a blog called “Bitten & Smitten” that was dedicated to food. It was one of those blogs filled with stacks of fruit-laden cornmeal pancakes, cheap champagnes, and my favorite street food from across the world. In my defense, this was before Instagram,  Pinterest, and facebook albums with… Read more: Chasing Lapin

or How I Met Steph… Any college junior preparing to go abroad can tell you that the hardest part of going abroad is packing to go abroad. You have to fit four months worth of clothes, shoes, books (the fun kind of course), and little knick-knacks to remind you of home into two 40 lbs. suitcases.*  I… Read more: Packing to Study Abroad: Edinburgh 2007

 People watching- everyone does it though not everyone admits it. I love that feeling when you’re sitting in a street-facing café or stuck at a crowded airport and you catch an unexpected glance of someone walking by. You get a fleeting glimpse of their life, what they are doing or overhear what they are talking… Read more: Racing Grandmothers in Kashmir: 2011

**** Like most kids, I had* an unwavering faith in my parent’s ability to do and solve anything. It didn’t matter if I was playing our backyard or half way across the world- I knew my parents could always help me out. I knew this because they have routinely dealt with the consequences of my… Read more: Lost in Spain

In September 2009, I joined the Edinburgh University Boat Club Senior Women’s team with the impression that I was joining the ranks of some of Scotland’s (and England’s and Wales’) finest and most civilised rowers. From the moment they spotted me at the University Sport’s Club Fair, I heard tales of their “dedicated practices”, “dignified… Read more: Introduction to Swans: Edinburgh 2009

Lost in Bangkok: I think Mindy Kaling put it best when she wrote in ” …I guess I’m just one of those weird kids who likes their parents too much.”* I feel you my favorite spirit animal. No seriously. I love my parents. It’s not because I’m an only child- though the whole showering me with… Read more: Getting “Lost” In Bangkok

It’s been a while since my last post.  This past month has been filled to the brim with my first college reunion, a business trip to cloudy Boca Raton to celebrate the 1 year launch of our company, a wonderful vacation to the Edinburgh for my best friend’s wedding reception, and an epic birthday celebration in… Read more: World Cup Madness: A Look Back at South Africa

Airplane travel- you either love it or hate it. In the States, I feel most passengers default to the small victories like free check-in luggage or unexpected packets of blue corn chips. It easy to forget that the rest of the world has higher* standards. I was kindly reminded of this fact during a two… Read more: South African Service

In less than a week, my best friend Casey is getting married. Her husband-to-be is a real-life Scotsman- though he spends a disappointing amount of time not wearing a kilt. What he lacks in stereotypical Scottish-ness, he makes up in being a good human being. Right from the beginning, I knew he was a good… Read more: Bears and Best Friends

Greetings back in rainy, old New York. It’s hard to believe that only a couple of days ago I was sitting at a kitchen table enjoying fresh chaa [Bengali Tea], market-picked pomegranates and some fresh out of the oven, piping-hot singaras [Bengali Samosas, but better). While I wallow with home-sickness, I thought I would share some of my favorite… Read more: OH! Kolkata!

Tomorrow I’m heading to India for some much needed R&R and some even more necessary Bengali food.* India, especially to Kolkata, is one of my favorite destinations. Now to be clear, I don’t love traveling to India for some misguided “eat.pray.love” type situation— aside from the fact that I “love” to “eat” and always “pray”… Read more: The Quest for Chili Garlic Prawns

It’s Oscar night in New York City.  For the past couple of weeks, the storefronts of all Fifth Avenue stores have been adorned with the shiniest, sleekest, most “spark-tastic” dresses. Champagne Reserves, I’m told, are running dangerously low in the wake of Fashion Week, Valentine’s Day and this perpetually bleak and cold weather. I rarely… Read more: The Girl at the Viennese Opera

One of the joys of studying abroad is spending those first couple of days acclimating to your new home, taking in all the new sites and customs, then taking the first available cheap plane, train or automobile to the next destination. As a study abroad student in Europe, let’s just say that it was amazing… Read more: Oh those Hostile Hostel Experiences: Dublin 2007

It’s that special time of year where the crowds at the gym and the local chocolate supply dwindle in equal proportions. Four weeks in and the challenge of New Years Resolutions have successfully corroded people’s resolve, and life returns to the status quo. Because of this phenomenon I like to keep my New Years resolution… Read more: Translation Problems in the Dominican Republic: September 2013