tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535Thu, 19 Dec 2024 03:29:22 +0000Aamir KhanGodGujratTaare Zameen Parbackpackingbarbecuebeliefcitizencnnelectionsenchantmentsfallgandhiganpatihikingibnjournalismmahatmanewsnorthwestphilosophypnwrei1440projectsummerswantexasutsavvisionvotingwashingtonbecause i like to..http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)Blogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-1854994790845204715Mon, 28 May 2018 17:48:00 +00002018-05-28T12:48:49.802-05:00 One of the most sought after and beautiful destination in Pacific Northwest needs no introduction, at least among backpackers. This was my third time to the region, but first time in Spring and with core permit (yes!). We started from Snow Lakes trailhead as it is still early in the season to cross Asgard pass without ice axe. We carried micro-spikes (no snow shoes) and didn't even take them http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2018/05/enchantment-there-and-back-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-6070624020853066115Wed, 09 Mar 2016 08:08:00 +00002018-05-28T11:40:30.948-05:00 A couple years ago I was in Beijing and just like every other tourist there, I went to see the great wall. To me, it felt like yet another overpopulated tourist attraction. Don't get me wrong. I love the history of the wall and very much fancy visualizing how it would had been during the times of ancient Chinese dynasties. What I realized is that I cannot connect to it well. Maybe it was the http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2016/03/india-unplugged-part-i-delhi.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-5523637614467371772Mon, 13 Oct 2014 01:02:00 +00002014-10-16T00:36:25.477-05:00backpackingenchantmentsfallhikingnorthwestpnwrei1440projectwashington Gods must be crazy. How do you create crystal clear lakes that reflect perpetually snow caped rocky peaks midst gorgeous hues of green pines, yellow larches, orange devil's clubs? Add to it a light choreography of elusive sunshine beaming through sneaky and fickle stratus clouds and make it really hard to get to this heavenly amphitheater, which makes you wanna go there even more! When we won http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2014/10/enchantments.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-8201066527086283397Thu, 09 Oct 2014 21:30:00 +00002014-10-09T16:30:22.144-05:00 A crisp morning. We all wake up early with an anticipation of catching the last African sunrise and possibly spotting some Savannah natives at their breakfast.. Eastern sky is beaming gold and hot air balloons start floating above the horizon. Their golden hue silhouettes against lone standing acacia trees make a good picture, I thought. Van sets in motion. After spotting some usual http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2014/10/an-encounter-with-simba.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-4747612842741300820Sun, 07 Sep 2014 20:23:00 +00002015-05-25T17:21:50.890-05:00 After six months of planning, changes and then some more changes, I finally made it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro yesterday, September 7, 2014 at 8:20 AM local time. More importantly I made it back alive and in one piece few hours back. Six days without shower, cold, scratchy throat, literally dizzying heights, smelly clothes and stinky socks, crowded sleeping bags and tents, unbearable http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2014/09/mount-kili.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-2038500402221358085Tue, 05 Aug 2014 06:39:00 +00002014-09-22T13:05:11.066-05:00 After a brutal red-eye flight from Seattle to Toronto, then seven hours of nonstop driving from Toronto and then traversing through busy Montreal Center Ville to find parking; I was expecting myself to be in a zombie state. But then again, every now and then you visit a place that makes you fall in love at first sight. It feels like all stars have aligned and life is idyllic. You forget http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2014/08/montreal-love-at-first-sight-ou-coup-de.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-8021817186980128968Mon, 30 Jun 2014 03:53:00 +00002014-07-06T00:22:47.914-05:00 Being in Seattle, my German experience comes mainly through pubs like Von Trapps, Die Bierstube and their delicious sausage variety to wash down with cold and brilliantly crafted beer selection! But if you really want to brush up on German you learnt in school or celebrate oktoberfest like a German (sorta :P), Leavenworth is just stone's throw away (2+ hours to be little more http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2014/06/leavenworth-wenatchee.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-5850411741570862032Mon, 23 Jun 2014 06:36:00 +00002014-07-02T20:04:47.392-05:00 My grandfather owned a retail shop in a rural village in India. He would bring goods from a nearby city around 20 miles away and sell them to the locals - everything from notebooks to potatoes! He hardly watched any TV, walked around the village and met with people face to face, hosted his kids and their families over summer and other festivals and was physically present in all our childhoods. http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2014/06/vagaries-of-evolving-human-sensations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-6093382556551743662Fri, 23 May 2014 14:50:00 +00002014-06-23T03:18:39.582-05:00 China - The land of dragon, communist autocracy, the future superpower, the manufacturer of almost everything man made these days!! My perception wasn't very different looking at the land of Mao from USA and from India growing up. I always had an opinion of this country as - love it or hate it; but you can't ignore it! What I knew for sure was that I am going to have a chance to rebuild or http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2014/05/china.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-6811742824271319344Fri, 23 May 2014 14:37:00 +00002014-05-23T09:37:49.252-05:00 To the lover of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world. - John Muir This seems like an innocuous statement, until you actually visit Alaska and experience it for yourself. I consider myself fortunate to have gotten time, resources and company to visit Alaska or the last frontier, so it is referred. When you think of Alaska, you think of snow and probably lot ofhttp://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2014/05/alaska.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-3133159471478340469Sun, 24 Feb 2013 06:32:00 +00002013-02-24T00:32:58.345-06:00 I am an avid traveler/adventurer; but I do not like to splurge big-time. This makes me go for the things that are maximum bang for the buck. So when I saw that Emirates Airlines provides an overnight stay in Dubai if you have more than 3-4 hours layover; I went ahead and booked a returning ticket from Mumbai that would give me an evening in Dubai and overnight stay to relax and continue on my http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2013/02/dubai.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-1385822263834650572Mon, 26 Nov 2012 03:00:00 +00002014-06-27T12:13:51.447-05:00 Every first has a special meaning. I ran my first full marathon today. Through the hilly course starting below the Space needle, going on I-90 bridge (over Lake Washington), then through beautiful Seward park in morning mist and through the hills by the Washington lake. It felt good. No, it felt really good.. I still remember yesterday. I was all apprehensive and my mind running through http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2012/11/first-full-marathon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-2081807451733803048Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:06:00 +00002014-06-27T12:13:51.453-05:00 Rahul: Hello Me: Bol kya hua? Rahul: Arey, Hussein passed away... Me: What? Are you f*&%*g kidding me? Rahul: Nahi be. It happened on Tuesday morning. He had a stroke in his sleep. Me: (Still trying to decide whether to believe this) Is this a joke? Rahul: No, Lisa and Carl got an email from his sister. Me: Oh God.. Hussein. A close buddy of mine - who was around me for past five years is http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2012/11/hussein.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-8248550132907051387Fri, 20 Jul 2012 03:05:00 +00002012-09-21T20:39:03.708-05:00 My Dad is a very open person. He likes to share stories of how he was brought up, how he came to Mumbai, how he made a living etc. When I was young, whenever we used to pass by Sewree, an area in south central part of Mumbai; he would point at one building, get a little nostalgic and would say - 'My first job in Mumbai was as an accountant in that building'. A ten year old me could only take http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2012/07/deja-vu.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-6258498742929087873Mon, 14 May 2012 01:54:00 +00002014-06-27T12:16:00.296-05:00 Mom. Your first and probably the deepest connection to life. A person who undeniably defines the phrase 'unconditional love'. It is near impossible for me to describe in words how I feel about her. I am filled with so many emotions and memories that my rational side fails to fathom. I leave you with following video that salutes the person who plays the role of 'higher being' on earth - the one http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2012/05/happy-mothers-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-7624136261367725558Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:22:00 +00002012-05-06T12:49:53.720-05:00I find the Seventies very idyllic. Although I was not born in that decade (I think..) and have nobody telling me about how awesome that decade was; I somehow feel growing up in seventies in any country must had been ideal.So a movie that is about an Indian family living in New York in seventies was bound to catch my attention. And of course when somebody like Mira Nair is directing it, there is http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2012/03/namesake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-8360973933904733341Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:30:00 +00002012-03-11T04:00:12.697-05:00I always looked at Rahul Dravid as Pete Sampras of India :) I know that I might be comparing apples with oranges, but I could not help finding some similarities between their appearance on and off the field/court.I feel fortunate to be growing up watching sportsman like Rahul Dravid who not only greatly contributed to making India a winning side, but also kept Cricket a 'gentleman's game'. http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2012/03/tribute-to-indian-wall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-1201847887308536987Sun, 11 Mar 2012 01:51:00 +00002014-06-27T12:16:44.452-05:00I am one of those idiots who try to find pattern in everything around me. I make up some rules from observed patterns and try to live by them only to realize that 'every rule has an exception'. (Can this rule have exception as well? :P)Anyways, here is something I have read or watched and am convinced about these days. 80% of the things in your life are driven by 20% of your actions. Believe me. http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2012/03/8020-principle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-7902261650523399001Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:01:00 +00002011-08-24T02:53:05.280-05:00I completed my second half marathon today. Slightly better timing, but a harder race. I did the first one last month, and I thought I did pretty OK for the first timer ( 2 hours 7 minutes). I just improved by 2 minutes in this one, but boy this felt quite harder than the first one. Last two miles felt like the longest ones, especially the start of last mile. I could feel my body getting http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2011/08/running.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-7711685144130572859Thu, 05 May 2011 04:36:00 +00002014-06-27T12:18:23.088-05:00I was reading this article, and had a sort of realization. It makes so much sense. When you approach anything with an honest and deep belief that you can do it, and are not wavered by possibilities of failure; you really can achieve what you want. You might fail once or twice or even thrice, but if you find a way to keep your spirits high; you will succeed eventually. We as human beings are http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2011/05/attitude-is-everything.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-4678404167634168710Sun, 24 Apr 2011 07:03:00 +00002014-06-27T12:18:23.082-05:00Back from another awesome road-trip in Southern Utah and Arizona canyons. 1000 miles out and back driving and endless (at times mindless) fun. Wanted to stay for another day and explore Lake Powell. Anyways I am very tired right now, but feeling refreshed..http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2011/04/another-roadtrip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-5743619120315431965Wed, 20 Apr 2011 03:44:00 +00002014-06-27T12:18:23.085-05:00Listening to Frank Sinatra and sipping my favorite hazelnut hot coffee, I am looking outside from my bedroom glass door. I see a calm, lit up city surrounded by cozy mountains, and a pitch dark sky. It is still little cold outside, not a spring as yet. I close my eyes. I am at peace. I am wondering how many times I really pay attention to this moment - now? No matter what happened before or http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-this-moment.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-8767210192009486068Sat, 25 Dec 2010 13:43:00 +00002010-12-25T12:17:08.524-06:00I am back home after 3 years, 4 months and some days. How do I feel? Did I have time to feel? Well, not really. I have been traveling to every corner/suburb of Mumbai like a crazy backpacker, staying at different places every night, meeting friends, relatives, attending weddings/social functions every day. I feel like a stranger or tourist in my own city. The city in which I grew up, is changing http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2010/12/trip-india.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-6628871204470211261Sun, 12 Sep 2010 18:09:00 +00002010-09-12T13:37:07.347-05:00ganpatiutsavThis is the first time I am celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi without any festivities. For past three years, UTA Marathi Mandal, or so it was called, helped me alleviate pain of being away from home during Ganapati Utsav. Although I was not an active contributor, I loved the way people came together and tried to perform all rituals - Puja, Aarati, Modak etc. in Indian style.Beloved Lalbaugcha RajaI http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2010/09/ganpati-bappa-morya.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29748535.post-1724488522129042908Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:33:00 +00002014-06-27T12:18:23.080-05:00Yes, that is true. I am not 24 anymore. Maybe I should stop singing 18 Till I Die now :) Soon I will be 26, 27,.... Whoa! Life comes at you fast..http://sankalpshere.blogspot.com/2010/07/25.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sankalp Shere)0