❤Discovering Life through my Experiences in #Goa❤

“I am dating someone” my friend disclosed to me few years ago and a year after her revelation, she tells me “2017 is the year I plan on getting married”. Woohooo!!! was my reaction, and the best part I was yet to hear; something that got me super excited. The wedding will be in #Goa!!! Not less than a month from her announcement, and in all the anticipation we booked our air tickets for Goa…Could not afford missing this wedding for anything!

Well, that’s not it. It gets even better. I get a message from her asking me to be her bridesmaid. And as I stare at the question on my phone, gazillion thoughts crashed around my mind…“I don’t deserve to be her bridesmaid”, “Will I be a fine bridesmaid?”, and what not if I said yes. Confusion! Confusion! But, a little voice in me said, quit over thinking, just say yes, it will be worth the experience and it indeed was!

The day finally arrived for all of us to head to the most awaited wedding and destination. Touchdown Goa at 6:30 p.m and on stepping into the city, a high-spirited feeling gripped me. The day I arrived and Day 1 of my trip was the Roce which is a ceremony the bride/groom has before the wedding in the Goan/Manglorean community. Roce symbolizes purity, just like the white coconut milk that is used to bathe the bride. It symbolizes the last day of the bride/groom as a single/unmarried person. Too bad the bridesmaid has to accompany the bride too (Why the bridesmaid, it’s not the last day of them being unmarried?!), but its tradition they say! Well, you may call me a cribber, but it was not just the coconut milk that was to be poured on our bodies, but a lot more, right from the milk, haldi, to chilled beer and a ton of smelly eggs broken right on our heads, and the shells entangled in our hair strands (not funny). But, I have to agree despite all the nastiness, it was a crazy experience and the exfoliation was the icing!

As the Roce ended, my friend threw an unexpected bomb on me and my friend (her good friend and Bestman). What was it? I want you both to say a few words on the wedding was her request. I wanted to say no out of fear of public speaking, but I could not refuse her request. How could I! The fear of speaking in front of so many people got to me at first, but I have come to realize that “the only way to fight fear is to deal with it”. I wanted to do it and I knew I could! Not worrying too much about this, we headed to #ColvaBeach late night, despite the blistering cold. The chilly weather gave us the shivers, but the joy of simply being there with friends, exploring the beach, the shacks, the beautiful lights from New Years and devouring a well-cooked, yummilicious beef steak (FYI the best beef steak I have tasted @KentuckyRestaurant at Colva Beach), and sipping on beer made me appreciate and just enjoy the moment.

Just a day before the wedding, the hectic dress fitting run-abouts with the bride called for a little fun at the beach. Headed to #CavolissemBeach…had our long beach walks…sat on the sand for a while…clicked a lot of pictures and a few boomerangs goes without saying :) Well that’s not it, a stop at a local food truck on our way back home was an excellent way to wind up the day. The food did not disappoint me, not one bit! Right from chicken, pork (goan sausage pav) to beef, he had it all and we tried it all (paradise for non-vegetarians like me). These guys were too good!

The wedding day finally arrived…family members rummaging through their closets, food being cooked in the kitchen, the hairdresser making space in the hallroom to get the bride and the bridesmaid ready. Thanks to everyone’s corporation, in no time, we were ready and off for a photoshoot to #SaoJosedeAreal in #Goa. What a beautiful location! Some jumps, kisses blown towards the couple, the bride getting goofy with her girls and so many more poses…had a great time shooting with the couple. What killed it was the groom’s entry on his Royal Enfield as the bride waited for him to enter the church. Awww…

This was part one of all the fun, the most happening part of the wedding-The reception was yet to start and my first public speech for a friend on her wedding day too. My heart thumped with nervousness, but I was ready and I eventually spoke from my heart that was still pounding…

Val you look beautiful and Sofan very handsome.

You guys make such an awesome couple.

Val I want to thank you for considering me and making me your bridesmaid.

It has been an amazing experience right from the start till now.

I've known Val for almost 11 years now...and she is truly a gem of a person.

Extremely loving...caring....sweet...and someone who will be there for you when you need her.

I know she gets these good qualities from her amazing family who are such down to earth people.

Cheers to all of them for making her who she is!

I know these past few days and months have been hectic with all the wedding preps, but like they say “when the going gets tough, the tough gets going”

You have always been a tough and strong girl, I want you to be that way and don’t forget to keep God close to you in whatever you do...

Today is your wedding day…every girl desires to find her perfect one. I am so happy u found the love of your life. Be this strong rock in Sofan and his family's life too.. Sofan you are a lucky man to have Val as your life partner, you could not have asked for better!

I really wish the best for both of you'll. May you guys have the cutest and the most adorable babies ever.

Wishing you both a very happy married life!

I was so uncomfortable doing this (expressing in front of a crowd), but I had to do it for her and also for me to overcome my fear. I knew it is important to be uncomfortable, because uncomfortable is where you begin to witness changes. I needed to get out of my comfort zone and this was it! After I ended, that feeling of being stronger and confident was out of this world. So much so, I wanted to do another speech :)

After my Goa trip eleven years ago with my friends, it was great reuniting after all those years. Even though it was for a short period, we had our share of fun and I am so glad it finally happened! Well, watching the sunset on the beach had to happen in #Goa and so we decided to head to #BenaulimBeach where we had a table facing the sea in a shack, ordered for squids and some chilled beer as we watched the sun go down…An amazing experience for me because it is when you are amidst beauty and nature that you believe everything around you is beautiful, and that there is still good left in this world. It is all about appreciating the good and the bad, and living a life with gratitude.

Last, but not the least I had to fulfill my one wish - #Cycling in Goa! I don't know whether it was meant to be, but my friend had cycles of his own, got them fixed and we took off on our respective cycles, exploring the narrow lanes of South Goa. Such a beautiful cycling experience, feeling the breeze brush through my face, and the time when I gathered all my stamina to cycle uphill, and when people and kids smiled from their homes every time I passed by the pretty lanes. Happiness! Happiness! Cycling in the dark and all by myself early morning was another experience in itself, something I will never forget. The early morning vibe itself is so different…you have to feel it to believe it! Lastly, Goa being a land of coconut trees, I managed to remove a coconut from the tree with a little help and was fortunate enough to be able to drink the sweet water…just what I needed after a good workout. Sweet reward for all the strength and energy I put in!

I am going to cherish this trip always and look forward to many more exciting experiences, realizations, learning’s in my next travel expedition which I am sure will happen soon.

Visited an interesting restaurant recently and I can’t wait to share my experience already with you guys. Stay tuned for my next exciting food blog which will be up soon. Be good! :)

XOXO

Sparkle