Our New Year started with a three-day trip to Goa. We could say, our winter vacation was the most memorable one and a mind refresher as well. The break from family and office routine started from 05 th to 07 th January 2026.

Day - 1
A bus was arranged for us specifically for this trip and we started on 05 th January 2026. The journey started at 7:15 am, followed by a small prayer and then our enthusiastic back benchers started off with non-stop singing, dancing and music. We had breakfast at Kamath Hotel, Nelamangala – Tumkuru Highway. We moved on and still with loud music and singing continuing, some snacks, fruits and juice were distributed in the bus till we stopped for lunch at Haveri. We wanted to reach Goa before 6:00 pm but unfortunately there were some road constructions and we had to slow down. On the way, we stopped for tender coconut, some refreshments, etc. Finally, we reached Goa at around 8:00 pm. In Goa, we were surprised to see the places were still enjoying Christmas and New Year Celebrations as the roads and the pathways were decorated with lots of lights and fancy items. It gave us a warm welcome feeling. The accommodation was at Jesuit House, Panaji and this was close to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church. We had dinner at 11:30 pm and retired for the day.

Day – 2
We started at 9:00 am after a quick breakfast and headed towards Fort Aguada. It was quite hot but our excitement did not stop us from clicking some memorable photos. We all got a special gift from our Director, ‘Goa’ shirts. We all wore them and did some photoshoots. We stopped for some refreshments and travelled towards the famous dolphin watching site, Sinquerim, which lies near Fort Aguada. The water was calm and the picturesque fort in the background was very beautiful. We got to see some dolphins jumping and at this point of time, the weather was in our favour - it became very pleasant and there was some cool breeze - it was an overwhelming experience. For lunch, we tasted the Goan style fish meals with our uniform on - the Goan style shirts. We clicked some more memorable photos at the dining hall. Our next destination was the famous Baga beach located in North Goa near Calangute. It is a popular tourist destination full of activities renowned for its water sports. As mentioned earlier, the weather was pleasant and the sound of the waves created a relaxed atmosphere, some played in water and some were busy with photoshoots and reels. Most of us did some shopping but unfortunately we were not able to complete our shopping due to time constraints as our next stop was the Santa Maria cruise. The Panjim jetty was quite crowded, so we made sure that we were together and entered the cruise at 8:30 pm. We spotted a comfortable place and sat there enjoying the traditional dance and live DJ music. A couple of us danced on the stage with dancers from other states, then dinner was served and we went back to the jetty at 11:30 pm. We reached our accommodation at 12:00 midnight when everybody was tired but for some, this was the first time, hence a memorable experience indeed.

Day - 3
We were informed to start at 8:00 am, surprisingly we assembled on time for our next destination which was to the most awaited place, St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral located at Old Goa. Before visiting the church, we had our breakfast and did some shopping. Finally, we all met at the entrance of the Basilica of Bom Jesus, which houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. We were mesmerized looking at the architecture which was a unique blend of Indian and Portuguese style. The most important blessing was that of attending Holy Mass at the basilica which was celebrated by our Director and Finance Officer. We went back to our bus and it was already lunch time and we ate some Goan style food in the city outskirts. We had an absolutely delicious lunch followed by a traditional paan, known for aiding digestion after a heavy meal. Our faces already started to show sadness as this was the day of our trip.

On the way back to Bangalore, we stopped at Karvar beach - a serene, clean coastal spot in North Karnataka, near Goa border. As usual, some played in the water and some were busy with photoshoots. Since we were tired and sad, slow music was on and some relaxed in the moving bus. On the way back, we also visited Mundgod and had a glimpse of the Tibetan colony. Our dinner was in Mundgod and we headed towards Bengaluru with no other stop in between. We reached Bengaluru at 5:30 am on 8 th January 2026.

Though it ended quickly, this trip left us with happy and unforgettable memories. The trip provided an excellent opportunity for staff members to relax, unwind, and bond with one another outside the workplace. The trip also encouraged teamwork and strengthened relationships among staff members, fostering a sense of unity and motivation. Overall, the Goa trip was a delightful and memorable experience and the non-teaching staff sincerely appreciated the college management’s thoughtful initiative.