Jet-lag edition - Sunday Surprise [20-April-25]
MIA due to a transcontinental adventure...
Hey there!
Guess who's back? After two whirlwind weeks away, I’m writing this from the comfort of my own home, feeling slightly jetlagged, very grateful, and only mildly sniffly. (More on that in a bit…)
How’s your April been so far? Got any travel plans coming up? I’d love to hear what you consider a perfect holiday — because that’s been on my mind a lot lately.
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⏸️ The Art of the Pause
I’ve been in the US these past two weeks for a transcontinental adventure to celebrate my brother’s wedding. Picture this: a Bangladeshi wedding with 300 people (which, apparently, is small by desi standards!), full of colour, music, emotions, and about 5 back-to-back events.
This trip was different though — not just because my wife and I got quality time with the extended fam for the first time ever, but because we said no to tourist traps and yes to late-night board games with cousins, sibling banter, and conversations that stretched until 4 a.m (on one occasion at least!)
Did we both end up sick from pushing our sleep schedules like teenagers? Absolutely. Worth it? Every single time.
We ticked one bucket list item — a live taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — but the rest? It was all family, food, and soaking in the kind of time that’s usually rationed into fleeting moments.
Reflecting on the way back, I started to wonder about what exactly makes for a “perfect” trip and the ones that I hold so dear. This one was different from the other highlights of Iceland, Faroe Islands and Antarctica, because it was closer to “ordinary”…
💡 Actionable Insight: Redefining the “Perfect” Trip
This trip forced me to ask: What really makes a holiday “good”?
We didn’t hit any iconic landmarks. We didn’t hike. We didn’t even see a Broadway show. But I came back feeling emotionally full — something I didn’t expect.
So here’s a tiny thought experiment you might try this week:
The “3 C’s” of Holiday Planning:
Connection – Who do you really want to spend time with? Could be family, friends, or even yourself.
Contrast – How different is your trip from everyday life? New time zone? New routine? Sometimes just being away from the everyday allows you to disconnect just that bit more…
Care – How well does the trip restore you — physically, emotionally, creatively?
Instead of chasing “epic,” try chasing meaningful — that was our approach this trip and it was surprisingly fulfilling.
As we were leaving, my uncle pointed out that we had visited many times before, but for some reason, the goodbye felt more poignant. I’m sure it had to do with the quality time the whole family spent together!
Poll: what made your holidays special?
Thinking about the trip has got me intrigued into what other things make for a good break. I’d love to hear your take so do hit “reply” and let me know!
🎨 Creative Update
Youtube -How Much Youtube Paid me in FIRST MONTH of Being Monetized
Seems like a customary thing to do on Youtube: Get monetized, make a video on it 🤣
I have found these videos inspiring and given the relative lack of ones from Australia, I thought I’d make my own version. It also happens to be the 50th video on the channel! 🤯
Podcast -S05E04 - The Billionaire Space Race
This was recorded before the recent media frenzy about the Blue Origin trip, so it was clearly ahead of it’s time! We dive into our thoughts on why so many billionaires seem to suddenly be obsessed with space — is there a luxury yacht shortage or something?!
🎁Cool finds
Koncle Compression Packing Cubes*
Nothing spectacularly amazing that you’ve never seen before, but something that I was very much grateful for this trip: Packing Cubes! Given the number of events to attend, these were the only way of keeping the dirty clothes away from the fresh ones and to fit everything into the luggage. My set isn’t made anymore and I’ll be upgrading to these since they allow the cubes to be compressed!
Weekly Update
Well, it’s more like a fortnightly update this time! A lot has happened I suppose!
My parents left before us for USA - had to make sure to organise their logistics and get them both to the airport
Pack and get OURSELVES to the airport
The whirlwind of arriving in NYC, going to Philadelphia 12 hrs later, driving for all the errands on the “wrong” side of the road
The MANY events of a desi wedding
Actually realising that my little brother is now a married man!
Spending those late night hours simply playing board games with the cousins
Seeing the taping of Stephen Colbert - a bucket list item ticked off!
Staying in Roosevelt Island and showing the place to my wife after catching the cable car — this has been on my list of things to do with her for so many years!
Some more and photos over on the blog…
Quote of the week
This week, it’s from a cartoon cat!
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