A City I Never Thought I'd Call "Home."
New year, new base, new dilemmas.
I’m slowly stirring awake in my warm bed, enveloped by my warm blanket and a soothing silence. I open one eye, then the other, and lift myself up slightly to look through the window at the horizon beyond. Every morning, I wake up to a different color palette - crimson, saffron, tangerine, malta - painted by the rising sun across the cold morning sky. The shade of the day is marigold, but that’s not what grabs my attention. Some tiny white stuff is drifting through the air. I rub my eyes, get out of my blanket, go closer to the window, and feel joy surge through my body: Snowflakes!
In the park below, under the bare trees, people have already gathered to celebrate Berlin’s second snow this winter. The ground isn’t wearing a snow coat yet, but they are out with their sleds and dogs and fresh bakery buys. I wear my winter jacket and head downstairs too.
As snowflakes float all around me, I raise my gloved hand inviting them to land on it. A perfectly formed hexagonal white snowflake lands on my blue glove. I can only examine it for a few seconds before it melts. I catch more, examine more.
These snowflakes seem so tiny, delicate, transient. Yet in just a couple of hours, they will have covered the city in a blanket of white. They will have filled the sidewalks with milky layers, coated the branches of tall trees, covered the pots in our balcony with an icy top, and turned the park below into a frozen expanse. Those tiny, delicate, transient snowflakes.
Since moving to Berlin nearly three months ago, I feel like I’ve led a dual existence.
There’s me, with my curious heart, itchy feet, culinary cravings, writing dreams and starry-eyed worldview. This me, I’ve taken to a zero waste Christmas Market, a Gambian restaurant run by refugees, a silent reading club in a 20th century museum, a phone-free hangout in a charming tearoom, a soul-stirring art installation of the Berlin wall, and cozy cafes all over the city.
Then there’s me, a tiny speck watching the world fall apart. A world where I must casually go about my life in the midst of ugly wars, brutally-curbed protests, an abhorrent return of colonialism, felling of forests and mangroves, jailing of climate activists and other grim realities. This me, I’ve taken to a Gaza vigil and a protest for Sudan, tried to shelter from all the heart-shattering news, reminded that on a cosmic scale, the human civilization is just a blip.
In this blip of time, this tiny speck that’s me has two choices: Numb myself to the grim realities and slowly melt away. Or let the pain inspire me to rebel in ways I can and inspire more drifters in my corner, in the hope that someday together, we too can turn the world into a wonderland again. We, tiny, delicate, transient specks.
“It can be really overwhelming to witness / experience / take in all the injustices of the moment; the good news is that *they’re all connected* so if your little corner of work involves pulling at one of the threads, you’re helping to unravel the whole damn cloth.”
~ Ursula Wolfe-Rocca
Conscious recommendations
Meaningful travel ideas, eco-friendly finds and worthwhile opportunities, as well as books and films that’ve inspired me.
Opportunities:
A festival rooted in sharing, sustainability and compassion: One of the world’s coolest festivals is back this February: The Vegan Forest Festival at Sadhana Forest in Auroville. Three beautiful days filled with talks on sustainable eating, vegan food workshops, community cooking, mud baths and a deep sense of community. It works on a gift economy, with no entry fee and no sponsors! Only a few spots left to sign up.
Freelance video editor: As I slowly experiment with my Youtube channel, I’m on the lookout for a freelance video editor who understands my voice, and can support slow, soulful, meaningful editing (in this age of hyper action and quick cuts). If that feels like you, please reach out with relevant work samples and rates.
Travel:
Italy
The Via Francigena: In October, I was invited to hike a 3-day section of the Via Francigena - a 1000-year-old trail in the Italian Alps, passing through rugged mountain landscapes, glacial Alpine lakes, dense Conifer forests and dreamy Italian villages, intimately revealing a whole other side of Italy. The trail follows the diary of an Archbishop who walked 1800 kilometers, all the way from Canterbury in England to Rome in Italy, in the year 990! We sought refuge in ancient monasteries, replenished our snacks at local farmers’ markets, slept in cozy family-run BnBs, walked among glorious fall colors and felt like pilgrims of yore. What an adventure!
Aosta Valley: If long distance hiking is not for you, you can still walk short sections of the trail in the Aosta Valley in northwest Italy, sleep in charming mountain villages oblivious to the passage of time, and soak in the splendor of the Italian Alps - minus the crowds.
Germany
Quedlinberg: Seeking a winter wonderland in the Harz Mountains near Berlin, we landed up in the incredibly charming town of Quedlinberg on the first weekend of 2026! We stayed in a stunning half-timbered 17th century house, went on short snowy hikes to ancient rock formations, learnt about the colorful history of the town dating back to the year 1000, had thought-provoking conversations with our sweet German hostess, and hope to go back one winter for their unique Christmas Markets held in the private courtyards of old altbaus.
Read:
Stasiland: In the years just after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Berlin-based Australian journalist Anna Funders set out in search of human stories behind the wall. She met a young woman who escaped through the cracks, put out an advert in the local paper to talk to Stasi men (incharge of the East German communist regime), and hung out with a local rockstar in the GDR. For someone who finds it hard to read history, this creative non-fiction, with its human stories and parallel realities to current-day Berlin, had me hooked. Highly recommended!
The things you can see only when you slow down: In this breezy read, Korean monk Haemin Sunim introduces the teachings of Zen Buddhism as they apply to our contemporary lives, relationships and daily anxieties - and asks: Is the world busy, or is it our mind? It felt like a much-needed reminder to consciously seek slowness, not just externally but also within.
My latest video
I know I talk a lot about slow travel, but recently when someone asked me how they can get out of the ‘I need to see/do it all’ mindset, I was (kind of) stumped. It made me look back at my own evolution from a traveller full of FOMO, into someone who now finds far greater joy in missing out on the must-dos, going off the beaten path and spending time with local communities. My latest video is the product of that, with simple ways to consciously shift and embody the slow travel mindset:
My stories elsewhere
Stories I’ve written recently, as well as social media posts I’d love for you to check out.
Lonely Planet
Women Travel Solo: For Lonely Planet’s new book featuring 30 inspirational stories from women who have explored the transformative power of travelling around the world alone, I contributed a piece on slow living on a family-run farm in the Slovenian Alps. My third Lonely Planet book contribution!
Adventure.com
Blog:
Instagram:
I really loved reading this, Shivya. That quiet, almost sacred moment of touching the snow — and then holding it alongside the awareness of everything heavy in the world — really stayed with me. I often feel that same tension, especially out on a walk or hike, trying to practice slow, attentive presence and savour the beauty of the simple moment... while still knowing all the heavy worldly matters unfolding beyond the path, and trying to make space for both to coexist.
Your writing carries such calm honesty; it felt heartwarming to read. It reminded me why I'm so drawn to slow living and slow travel as ways to stay grounded and open to whatever might unfold. Thank you for putting this into words.
And if you're ever up for it, I'd still love to meet for coffee in Berlin sometime. 😊 Also, a small note: with my Media Design background, I've done slow, intuitive video editing in the past — if that's ever useful to you, I'd be very happy to help.
P.S. I'm so thankful for your "Offline Club" recommendation in Berlin. It feels like exactly the kind of space I've been craving. I'll surely make time to visit soon!
Loved the details, made me fall in love with Berlin too!