all you have to do is say “the farm” and i immediately have a slideshow of memories that runs through my head. parties. sleepovers. sunrises and sunsets. birthdays. playing rummy by candlelight. stargazing. telling ghost stories. seeing in the new year. school groups. so many stories i’ve lost count.

in its simplest sense, the farm is the devaraj family getaway. it’s about 20 kilometers from the city, close enough that it’s an easy day trip but far enough away that you can escape the chaos and noise and traffic. they grow various fruits and vegetables on the grounds, and there’s plenty of space to spread out and relax and enjoy the peace.

the farm is also great for parties. for years it’s where we rang in the new year, and it’s where we had various fundraisers and birthday parties and even my birthday / farewell in 2011. for a few years it’s also where we would house the school groups who would come to volunteer, and i have so many memories of making breakfast for them and dressing them up in indian clothes and listening to their conversations about their observations during their visits.

we’ve gathered at the farm in groups big and small to celebrate so many milestones, and we would also escape there on a saturday when we just needed a break from the city. there’s always a dog or a few cats roaming around, and there are lots of nooks and crannies to explore or to curl up with a book and shut out the world for a while.

each time i’m back in bangalore one of the things i hope for is a chance to spend a day at the farm. for nearly 20 years it has been a place that helps center me, and i always hope for more time there.

xx