temporary housewifery in goa

Being a housewife in Goa can be a miserable and excellent thing at the same time. Miserable for someone like me, because exploring a new city is best done in company. Soaking in the sights, smells and sounds I discover everyday sometimes makes me wish I had company to share it all with.

And then sometimes I remember how in all my busy months in Bangalore, the only thing I ever craved was a break, time off and emptiness. And I realize how I should be doing all the things I told myself I’d do. Read, write letters, write in general, exercise and get back in shape, cook, discover the new by myself. And then it’s all excellent again!

I guess the trick would then be to focus on the excellent, max out on the newness and soak up the sun, more than be lonely and miserable. There are moments though, that really make me glad to be a temporary housewife. Moments that waft by when I least expect them to and almost make me stop for a moment and feel grateful that life has taken this sudden detour down the road less chosen (by me, under normal circumstances, of course).

Moments when I’m immersed in cooking my daily meal, leaning over the stove, checking if the onions are just the right color, or looking into the pot of bubbling dal and inhaling its lovely dal steam.

Moments when I wake up and realize I don’t have to rush off to work. Instead I have the whole day ahead of me to do just as I please.

Moments when I have all evening to whip up a meal for Vivek and proudly show off the development of my culinary skills when he comes home.

Moments when I’m running down the Miramar sea front with the sun setting, casting just that perfect glow of evening light, and I can breathe easy and take it all in and feel lucky I live in a fairly unpolluted city, by the sea!

Moments when I’m swimming out into the sea just to see how far I can go before I turn around, and I realize what a beautiful picture it is to look at the setting sun and swim into the sea.

So yes, while a lot of the time I wish I had someone right beside me at all these moments, someone I could share my moments with, being a temporary housewife in Goa is quite a fantastic thing.