New Girl in the City.
New activities often overwhelm extra-sensitive introverts. Being one the thought of new places and new people terrified me a lot. But it’s necessary to break your shells, come out of your comfort zone, and grab every opportunity that is capable of reflecting your potential. So keeping that in mind took the train from Gujarat to Mumbai to pursue my bachelor’s degree from one of the renowned colleges in Mumbai.
Stepping off the train from Gujarat into the city of dreams, it felt as if it has too many people for the space it offered. Also, the scene at the stations can be horrific to first-time visitors sometimes. People in the hustle, pushing each other to get on the train and the trains, someone needs to feel pity for them, cause it’s transferring more people than it can actually carry. My first impression was completely different from how I imagined it as a “City of Dreams”. But as we say first impressions need not be the last.
From what I have learned in a year is though the Local trains in Mumbai can be a little…..no…a lot more crowded than expected but at the same time it is the best way to explore Mumbai because it’s the only way to not indulge yourself in the traffic the city offers and actually spend your precious time into something productive, no reason why it is known as lifeline of Mumbai.
Life in Mumbai is like a rollercoaster ride-fast, thrilling and full of surprises. It’s like if you blink your eye, on opening you’ll discover everything changed. In a City where anything and everything changes, the sea is constant. Marines in the span of a year have now become my definition of PEACE. It is the place that has served as a stage for upcoming artists to showcase their talent on Sunday mornings , has soaked many tears, helped people bond again and is always a go-to place for millions of people for outing.Also the famous Worli-Bandra Sealink; when you approach it by the sea it looks like miniature New York.
In the city where people don’t have even a second to rest, I witnessed Ganesh Chaturthi is the festival where all the hands join together to worship Lord Ganesha despite of the religion or caste they belong to. The festival is celebrated for over 10 days.Not only Ganesh Chaturthi but all the festivals are celebrated and enjoyed by everyone. The City is a melting point of cultures, and where diversity is celebrated.
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The City offers a wide variety of cozy and luxurious cafes but from Crowded Local trains to busy street corners, the city runs on the fuel of Vada-Pav, one of the cheapest yet enough to fill your appetite. Mumbai’s food scene is a flavor explosion and street food is the stuff of legends.
There can be mixed opinions about a city. For some Mumbai is a city of freedom, for others, it might be a land of opportunities. For some it is a city of glitz and glamor, for others it may be the city of slums. For some it is the city of vada-pav and biryani, for others, it is the city of fine dining. I met and came across a lot of people out of which few hold a very special place in my life. The City has given me all I ever wanted, taught me life lessons, given me opportunities to make my dreams come to reality, and given me memories to cherish forever.
A year back I wouldn’t have thought that this place would actually feel like home.
A year back everything was different……
Does it also feel like home to you? Share your views.
Keep Reading and stay tuned for the upcoming blog on Six-Stop Shopping Spots in the city.
