brighter days, lighter souls 🍂 hello, september

12th Sep 202312th Sep 2023 maya rajesh12 Comments

This morning, I was overwhelmed with deja vu, and not the nice, warm kind. Staring at my screen instead of being at school again—sound familiar? Not that I’m complaining, though; every so often I’m desperately in need of one of these take-it-easy kind of days and this one came right on time. When I’m standing on the precipice, one push away from the dominoes tumbling down.

When I need to take a breath. Process everything that’s happening all too soon.

And then August slipped away again, marking that period of change—the transition from the first half to the second half of the year. It’s just a countdown now. Term exams and trekking, studying some more and then pre-boards, and a couple months later we’re done with school. Do we just let everything pass us by? I sure hope not.

I sure hope we haven’t stopped finding beauty in the mundane.

my how-to guide on multitasking 📝 [ft. a little life update]

5th Aug 202317th Aug 2023 maya rajesh16 Comments

I read a poem the other day which asked a question that stuck with me: what statistic from your life would you most like to see? It’s one of those whimsical questions, but this was my personal favourite answer – how many hours have I spent doing nothing, and not feeling guilty?

I could probably count that statistic on one hand. But gosh, I wish it was more. And if you’re anything like me, you’re also perenially immersed in lists of obligations, tasks, and the worst of them all: deadlines. I’ve been there one too many times. In fact, I’m still there. Still trying to worm my way out of it all, and stay focused on what really matters.

It’s still the middle of yet another crazy week. We just finished up with a couple of events, went on a day trip to another city (which is where the sunset is from,) exam results are nearly all out, and I have a long, long list of performances all through August. And so, inspired by this current state of craze, here you have it:

A How-To Guide on Multitasking [Maya’s Version] –

the beautiful impossible || when fate takes over 🌙

2nd Jul 20235th Jul 2023 maya rajesh22 Comments

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve found the time to sit down and write, and this wasn’t planned at all; entirely spontaneous.

The last time I wrote, it was the end of summer, and since then… life has descended into absolute chaos: me running from class to class, my room constantly littered with books and paper and references and not having any time to stop and think whatsoever. (Unless it’s about which year the Club of Rome was founded because that I’m obligated to know.)

If you asked me, at any point in these past seven weeks, what the predominant thought in my mind was, it would be: when will I have it all together?

When Murphy’s Law gets all too real: everything that can go wrong is going wrong… but then there are moments like these. It’s 11 in the night, and everything’s silent and you can hear the crickets outside, the clock ticking, and the faint hum of your favourite indie song still playing from your headphones across the room. You have school in the morning, but nothing really matters except the moonlight reflecting off of the pool, the music… the quiet.

That’s what makes life worth living.

summer diaries #2: travel diary — italy

16th May 202316th May 2023 maya rajesh24 Comments

This summer, we travelled to Italy. It was around 19 days of pure bliss: pizzas and gelatos, museums and sculptures and rich, rich culture. It’s unreal how many different people and places this world is home to; we seem to only know ours. Anyway, I write this the day after we landed back home (knowing life’s tendency to cascade into chaos) in the hopes that it’s coherent and does the trip justice.

Europe—with its lush green pastures, quaint towns and magnificent panoramic views—has always been one of those places you could spend ages in. Just taking it all in. Italy is the epitome of Europe’s fascinating beauty.

Italy just so happens to be one of those places where the place looks exactly like the pictures. No filter. It’s like someone copy-pasted their Pinterest board onto it. It is simply unbelievable—almost as though words aren’t quite enough to describe the place (but then again, they never quite suffice.) And that’s coming from someone who practically worships good literature.

We visited five gorgeous places + Vatican City and that’s how this post is divided. So before I digress: here’s Italy, through my eyes.

summer diaries #1: and yet, we march on || new beginnings & change 🌱

17th Apr 202317th Apr 2023 maya rajesh18 Comments

2023.

In all honesty, I’m still taking it in.

I kid you not, two weeks ago, at around 11 in the morning, I was updating my Goodreads and needed to change the ‘read’ date and on the dropdown menu, it read “April 1” and I went berserk. There is no way it’s already April. We’re already more than three months in.

Time never ceases to amaze me (as I’m sure anyone who knows me knows.) My friends and I have been in awe – freshman year of high school is already over. It seems like yesterday we were all nervous in that giddy-excited way, making our way through the gates, and seeing each other after summer break…

And we’re here. It’s summer again. Except I’m going to be a year older soon. And I feel myself trying to hold on to the memories, relish the moment but it’s like grasping for water: you have it for a moment, you feel the coolness on your skin, and just like that; it’s gone.

I write this a couple weeks after a terrorizing set of finals (you wouldn’t believe the relief) and my life just has all this empty space in it – it’s the perfect time for me to pick up a new project, or write some songs, or finish editing my draft… but I find myself unwilling to do something “productive.”

Because, after all, we all need a break sometimes don’t we? (aka, me trying to justify the fact that I haven’t posted since last year. Yes, I’m aware.)