One day for every time zone crossed. That seemed to be the general consensus of the days needed to recover from jet lag. If that were true, I’d need at least eleven days to recover and get my out-of-sync internal clock in tune with the time zone back home. But, I had sailed smoothly and breezily through, akin to a duck taking to water after travelling across multiple time zones and landing in the USA. Would I be able to replicate the same on my return journey and save myself some trouble, I wondered.

I hoped so.

I was determined to do so.

But…

In spite of my best efforts, my hope and determination had to admit defeat. Besides, the sun, which supposedly plays an important role in helping one adjust to the new time zone, played truant soon after my arrival. Grey rainy days greeted me. Not even a measly weak sun ray was anywhere in sight when I needed it the most.

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE grey, rainy days. I thrive in such weather and unlike most people, they cheer me up considerably. After all even while enjoying the bright, sunny and cold days on the other side of the globe I was feeling pretty jealous of those back in Kerala who were abundantly blessed by unexpected rain in the month of September, perhaps to make up for the scant months of June and July, and also August. (I thought it was really mean of the rains to start giving of their bounty on just the night I was to board my flight!)

Anyway, suffice to say that with the sun being uncooperative, and I having traveled West across multiple time zones, which supposedly is worse in terms of jet lag than travelling to the East, and age being a factor too apparently, I was done for! Add to it a migraine, followed by an allergy attack, and you will have a picture of what I was up against.

Now, I am back on my feet. The house is almost back in order. Almost. Not everything is in its place as I would like it to be. I am slowly getting there. I have started attending my keyboard (music) classes. Morning walks have been resumed. The paints, painting brushes, pencils, erasers et al have been taken out of their boxes and now litter my table.

The sun which had been out for quite a few days after the initial reluctance has now again been eclipsed by the clouds. There’s pressure building up in the Arabian Sea. In the Bay of Bengal too for all I know. It’s back to beautiful rainy days for a while more which will merge with the next rainy season called Thule Varsham in my land. The freshly washed greenery all around looks achingly beautiful. Yes, it is time to get back to my blog.

©️ Shail Mohan 2023