Travel takes you far from home, but brings you closer to yourself. This, I realized after visiting many places of interest across countries – lighthouses, beaches, hills, gardens, oceans, and forests. The memories imprinted on my mind have stayed on for a long time. Even today I can recollect; the seashells I collected on a forlorn island of Maldives and the reindeers of Santa Claus I fed in Rovaniemi, the beach of Bentota that I walked barefoot on and the helicopter drive I took over the Colorado river fenced by the grand canyons. I lost myself, only to discover myself. My travel sojourns have connected me to myself when life had a way of disconnecting me from what mattered. In simple words, when I saw the mountains of Igatpuri or the seagulls of Norway, I discovered what truly counted – the moment in time, which shall be gone away soon and be reserved for a memory on another day.

“People’s Kafe – Whispers from the Lighthouse of Galle: Stories of Friendships & Adventures in Nature” encapsulates these memories of the places I explored, friends I made along the way, and the beauty of nature I enjoyed by the way of living at different places my father was posted at. You will find joyful tales about peacocks who became my pets, the lighthouse I explored in Galle along the Indian Ocean, the salacious mango tree in my backyard, and the people I met on travel who nearly adopted me.

I implore you to embark on your own trails of adventures amid nature and discover the joys of unspoken friendships.