30 is the new 20

'How do you feel to be 30?' I have been asked by many as to how I feel on reaching the 30 years milestone. Well, the feeling is mixed, but be that as it may, I am trying to concede through sheer optimism that life after 30 is just going to be awesome. Naive and a starry eyed beginner, I ventured out into the world of my dreams, of uncharted odyssey hoping to find a purpose and a meaning in life. The very thought of being 30 years then, actually made me squirm. The tag of being a full fledged adulthood overwhelmingly weighed on my mind and not to mention the knot of anxiety of ageing that comes along as you hit 30 :). 30 is a big number! Yes, the prime age of grandeur and of having made a mark in life. Eight years of my career, I have lived through it all, the peaks and troughs and the feats in my line of work. In essence, my journey has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Today, I'm little more wiser, composed and level headed than I was a couple years ago,I am not anymore shackled by the fear of people's opinion of me. I have learnt to live out of my comfort zone and graciously stand my ground and follow my passion religiously. Today I feel more confident and self assured of who I am and the zeal for learning and hope to live my passion has just begun. I dream of starting a family, write books, to be the voice for the wild animals and to appear on the cover of the magazine as the woman of the year :) I have a whole new decade to live my dreams. Yes, 30 is the new 20!.

The Ethereal Granduer

I shine in ethereal grandeur

As the world stares in awe,

Of my swaggering gait,

The enigma of my gaze,

And the splendor of my frame.

Elusive and stealthy I prowl

The forest edged with rugged coastline,

The luxuriant laden nature

Teeming with wildlife is full of promise,

Yet the lurking fear of extermination

Permeates ubiquitously across the region.

Some incredulous of my prominence

In the ecological tapestry,

See nothing but only a means

Of minting a fortune.

I say,

It´s in the thrill of my roar

And the grace of my stride,

The charisma in my eyes

That I rule the roost of entire nature.

In Hopes of Transcending my Fear

The dazzling rainbow sprawls across the sky

Like a flock of birds gliding over the clouds

I soar higher and higher through the rainbow

With the moisten laden air imbuing my skin

 An aura of serenity prevails in me

As I am swamped in tranquility

The forbidding dark clouds gather

And the tumultuous storm unleashes its unrelenting fury

Shackled by fear and intimidation

I snuggle myself in consolation

Dispirited and frazzled by the savage blow

I relinquish the glimpse of clear sky

Tyranny of ignorance and confusion prevail

In a flash, shafts of sunrays squirt through the troubled dingy atmosphere

Like water gushing out from the splintered vessel

     As I am overwhelmed by dismay and sorrow

I see a glimmer of hope
Hope springs eternal

And perseverance triumphs

The sky is streaked with beautiful rainbow

Like a flock of birds gliding over the clouds

I again soar higher and higher across the rainbow

Transcending all my fears and

Shattering my limits

Exploring Austria

I. Styria : the green heart of Austria

Vienna is a sight for sore eyes. The alluring artifacts  and the exquisite buildings from the medieval times, the posh oprah house known worldwide, the trendy branded stores and malls all in vogue and the  happy go lucky nonchalant people are to be reckoned with in Vienna. Being brought up in a countryside, i prefer less of glitz and sophisticated city life. Styria, an another provine in Austria is I would say the green heart of Austria. It is a quintessential  place etched against the breath taking alp mountains which will make you go weak at the knees :) You get instantly  connected with the beauty of nature and get infinitely rejuvenated and find reserves of strength and healing power. The mountains laden with carpets of wildflowers, hoards of deers sauntering along the undulating moutain, unpolluted river meandering gently through the meadows and the crisp clean air retains an aura of heavenly divinity.

 

Styria is the second largest of the nine Austrian federated provinces and shares its border with Slovenia,Salzburg,Burgenland and Carinthia.It was developed culturally and economically under the Archduke John, a member of Habsburg dynasty and an Austrian field marshal between 1809 and 1859.And later after the world war I, the province was divided into 2 parts ( the upper and lower styria).Styria is also home to about 150 clean tech companies and is pegged as a  top location worldwide for clean tech innovators specialized in energy and environmental engineering for developing world level green tech valley.

It is this place  where I had my first encounter in learning the wonders of wildlife camera trap survey. The cutting edge technology used in trapping the animals with the help of infrared sensors bowled me. I remember running around with my supervisor like an excited kid in scouring deer pellets as well:) 

The other wonders of styria includes the green lake of Styria which has been comprehended in the `list of places to visit before you die`. The emerald colored lake is  besieged by the mountains and forests which is so picturesque.  The lake is actually a spectacular park filled with diverse flora and during winter season  people come to amble around the park. In summer the the park is filled with water upto 10-12 meters from the melting glaciers. It is a delight for the divers to behold the breathtaking meadows along the edge zone of the lake and you can see the benches and the bridge inside the lake. Glistening and sparkling in the weave of dewdrops and sunset, the emerald lake is the jewel of Styria.

`Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.Nature´s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into the tree.The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy,while cares will drop off like autumn leaves`   -    John Muir

The Beautiful Bisons in Europe

My recent visit to the Bison Cente in Pszczyna,Poland was a wonderful trip where i had the life time experience to see the bisons. Seeing a bison which is a rare scene, is a delight and a treat for a wildlife lover like me :) The resplendent bull  held me spell bound and awestruck for a while. The largest mammal in Europe with a heavy built up walked majestically from its shed towards me as if he discerned my gesture. 

The bisons have been living n the Pszczyna forests for more than 150 years and they were introduced to Silesia from Bialowieza Primaeval forest in 1865 by the prince of Pszczyna. The grandeur and the beauty of this wild animal made them the favorite of Royal families.  Currently the park harbors more than 266 bisons. Owing to its adaptability to different climatic conditions, the gene of Pszczyna bisons has reinforced the world wide breeding of this species.

 I recommend you all to visit this park. It takes about few minutes walk from Pszczyna old town and the bisons can be watched from the observation deck. Along with the bisons you get to witness other beautiful wild animals like roe deers, fallow deers and red deers. I totally vouch for this park as one of the splendors of Poland.

           "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of a man"