The Grand Goa AWSM Meetup
As time passes, we realize the little things in life matter the most. Reminiscing about the good times we had, the times when all of us were genuinely alive and carefree, times when we tried something new, and moments when we were surrounded by people that made us laugh and smile from ear to ear. We all experienced this feeling four months ago and longed to have it again.
A lot happened over the course of four months since we last met. Two new members joined the team, we made multiple WordPress core contributions, and it was time that we all came together to celebrate how far we have come and grown as a team.
As always, all it takes is a moment’s decision to bring all of us together. No distance in place or lapse of time can lessen the joy and bliss we share. Isn’t that what matters? To have memories to remember forever.
This time, we took it a step further. We took the party to the “Land of Sun, Sea, and Surf.” That’s right. We met in Goa.
We started our journey by train on Dec 8 early morning and reached our place of stay, a private villa, by the evening. We rested for the night as we had three days of exploration and adventures waiting for us.
Goa Days
The next day we started our Goa expedition by visiting the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Then we headed to the Tropical Spice plantation to have some local cuisine for lunch and a tour of the entire plantation. After the plantation tour, getting to know nature better, by evening, we headed off to visit the Mangeshi Temple.
As the night grew closer, Goa started to come alive, and we were right in the midst of it and had no plans of missing the nightlife. The final cherry on top of the day was the dinner party cruise with DJ. We hit the dance floor with every ounce of energy we had and signed off for the night in style.
The majority of the next day, Dec 10, was reserved for water sports. On the way to the island, we did spot a number of dolphins.
The first water sport activity on the list was parasailing, which gave us a fantastic view of the sea, but the view did not last for a long time, as we were dipped into the sea a couple of times before getting us back on the boat. The water sports activity after parasailing was followed by a banana ride, bumper ride, jet ski, and scuba diving.
After the conclusion of water sports, we returned to our villa, where we cut a cake to celebrate our achievements, headed off to the Saturday market, and then to Baga beach, where we had our dinner listening to the ebb and flow of the sea.
We visited various forts and beaches on the Goa expedition’s final day. We visited Sinquerim and Candolim beaches, Fort Aguada, and Chapora fort. The climb to the top of the Chapora fort was well worth it, as the view was mesmerizing.
Once back at the villa we went over our growth as a team, discussed the plans for the future, and shared our feedback. We are bidding adieu to 2022 in style and expecting 2023 to be even better.
The Grand Goa Meetup was special in so many ways. It was the first trip we took outside our native state Kerala as a team. The long train journey and the glorious days that followed brought our team much closer. It was also a chance for the team to let their hair down and enjoy themselves to the fullest. We are all charged up to meet the challenges the future may bring.