It is the National Fisheries Development Board, but for travelers, it is a milestone. When you see the fish, you know you are almost there. It is the bookend of the trip. Seeing it today, on my way out, marked the end of a journey "home" to India, and the start of the journey "home" to the US.

The Break in School

There is an old adage that has been on my mind during these weeks of observation:

We often treat a vacation as a break from thinking. But this trip was the opposite. It was a fresh look. When you step out of your routine, the contrast clarifies everything.

I watched India changing in real-time. I saw the seamless blend of technology and service, the preservation of old ways (like the nuvvulu customs) alongside the adoption of new ways (digital payments everywhere). It is a country that is rushing forward without letting go of its past.

Writing to Understand

You don't write to show what you know. You write to find out what you know.

I used this time away to dust off my digital shelves. I realized that different observations belong in different "rooms." So, I am returning with a revived commitment to my four platforms:

• Shashi.co: My personal home base.
• MisunderstoodMarketing.com: Where I dissect the business of connection and value.
• ReadyThoughts.com: For observations on leadership, culture, and life.
• CarryOnCurry.com: For the travel, food, and cultural shifts I see on the ground.

The fish building signals the end of the vacation, but the learning doesn't stop at the airport. I hope you will subscribe and join me as I continue to write, think, and learn from back home in Potomac.