April has been a month filled with moments that remind us of the true strength of our community — standing together in grief, celebrating achievements, supporting one another, and continuing to grow as one family.
It is with profound sadness that we remember our dear friend, Nimil Peethamabaran, who passed away on April 18 following a sudden cardiac arrest after spending a week in the ICU at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. Nimil leaves behind his wife Krishna and their two young children, who now face an unimaginable loss. During this difficult time, we keep them in our thoughts and prayers. The outpouring of love and support from our community has once again shown the compassion that defines COMA.
At the same time, our community spirit continues to shine brightly through participation and togetherness. We are proud that 45 members of our community participated in the OhioHealth Capital City Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon, and 5K events on April 25. Their dedication, enthusiasm, and commitment to health and wellness truly embody the vibrant energy of COMA. A special mention goes to our motivator and captain, Austin Perera, whose encouragement and leadership inspired many in the group to take on this exciting challenge. Congratulations to all the participants for making this event such a memorable success!
We also celebrate a remarkable achievement within our community. Congratulations to Deepa Menon on the publication of her inspiring new book, Beyond Limits: From Fear to Summits. Through her extraordinary journey of courage, resilience, and self-discovery, Deepa shares valuable lessons on overcoming fear and pushing beyond boundaries. Living in Ohio and working in technology, she has also completed mountain treks across four continents — an accomplishment that inspires us all. We are incredibly proud to have such talented and accomplished individuals in our COMA family.
As we continue building a stronger and more connected community, we encourage everyone to participate in “Comakkoru Oomakathu” — an anonymous feedback initiative created to hear every voice in COMA. Whether your thoughts are about Onam, Christmas, Kalikkalam, or COMA overall, your honest feedback helps us improve and evolve together. No names, no filters — just your valuable thoughts that can help shape the future of our community.
Your participation matters, and we encourage everyone to share their feedback here: https://forms.gle/7aJ6sBgwtkeKExkC9
Upcoming COMA Events
Picnic – June 20th
Join us for a fun-filled day of games, laughter, and friendly competition! It’s a wonderful opportunity to relax, connect, and create lasting memories with fellow COMA members while enjoying great company and community spirit.
Onam – August 29th
Before we know it, Onam will be here! We already see teams beginning their preparations and practice sessions for the Onam events. It promises to be a lively celebration filled with culture, tradition, performances, and reconnecting with our roots.
Stay tuned for more action, celebrations, and community highlights. Summer promises more sunshine and stories!
Thank you for being part of COMA’s journey. Together, through every challenge and every celebration, we continue to grow stronger as a family.
— Prahlad T. Indira
My PhD Journey
— Resmi Krishnan
I grew up in a small village called Peerumade in Idukky District Kerala, India, never imagining the journey life would eventually take me on.
After marriage, I moved to the United States in 2003 and began graduate studies in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology through a direct PhD program with a full scholarship. Like many young couples starting a new life, we faced practical realities, long commutes, career uncertainties, and the challenge of building a family while living apart for studies and work. Eventually, I made the difficult decision to leave the PhD program with a master’s degree so we could focus on building our life together.
Life then moved quickly through motherhood, teaching, relocation, etc. After our daughter was born, I started my career as a faculty member at Owens Community College. A few years later, our family moved to Toronto, Canada (for Visa reasons), and with renewed hope, I decided to pursue my PhD once again — this time in Bioengineering at University of Toronto.
But life had other plans. Due to unforeseen situations, my husband had to commute from Toledo to Toronto. Managing research, raising two young children, family responsibilities, and long-distance challenges again became overwhelming. After completing my qualifying exams, we made another difficult decision to step away from the PhD program and return to the United States. I then started working as a faculty member at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio.
For a long time, I carried the quiet disappointment of leaving two PhD journeys unfinished. Even while building a career in university teaching, there was always a part of me wondering if I would ever complete what I had started.
In 2021, after many years, conversations, and self-reflections, I decided to try one more time — this time pursuing a PhD in Leadership Studies at Bowling Green State University.
Around the same time, my professional journey took another turn. After teaching and working in academia for several years, I transitioned into the healthcare technology industry and joined the medtech startup DASI Simulations in Columbus, Ohio. There were weeks of commuting between Columbus and Bowling Green, balancing work responsibilities, coursework, research, and family life all at once.
There were several moments of doubt when I wondered if I would have to pause the journey once again. But this time, the support of my family, friends, and faculty helped me continue moving forward one step at a time.
The final years of the program were the most demanding. Yet somewhere along the way, the journey stopped being just about earning a degree. It became a lesson in resilience, patience, and learning that sometimes dreams take a longer path than we originally imagined. Today, I feel deeply grateful to have completed my PhD in Leadership Studies. More than the title itself, this achievement represents persistence, growth, and the importance of not giving up and continuing to believe in ourselves even after setbacks.
If there is one thing I have learned through this journey, it is that life does not always move in a straight line. Sometimes we pause, restart, change direction, and begin again. And that is okay. What matters most is having the courage to keep going and do it with our loved ones!
— Resmi Krishnan
The Hidden Joy of Travel:
— Sruthi Pavithran & Rajesh Sukumaran
Falling in Love with the Journey Before It Begins
Travel is often defined by destinations — the places we go, the sights we see, the souvenirs we bring back, the social media pictures we post, and the memories that stay with us forever.
But for us, the most enjoyable part starts months before the journey even begins, before the tickets are booked or the bags are packed. It starts with the planning. That one simple decision “This is where we are going” marks the real beginning of the trip. From there, something beautiful unfolds.
From that moment on, we start imagining ourselves at the destination. Movies slowly get replaced by travel vlogs. Our search history fills up with landmarks, history, random facts, rulers, events, and hidden places. And then the internet does its magic, suddenly every reel, post, and video you see is somehow about that destination.
What starts as curiosity slowly turns into a connection. We save Instagram posts, revisit YouTube videos, and mentally map out streets we have never even walked on. We discover cafes we want to sit in, viewpoints where we want to pause for a while, the best photo spots, and little experiences we don’t want to miss. Every picture and video adds another layer, building this strange familiarity with a place we haven’t even visited yet.
And when I say we do a lot of planning upfront, don’t assume we have already booked flights, hotels, or even filled out visa applications yet. Sometimes, the planning itself becomes part of the experience.
Back in 2021, I was pregnant and dreaming about going on a babymoon in Paris. After watching Emily in Paris, I completely fell in love with the idea of having my babymoon there. We started planning right away — weeks of researching, saving places, and imagining our days in Paris. We had even shortlisted hotels and attractions. And honestly, what’s a babymoon without pictures? We even booked a professional photographer in Paris.
Everything felt so real and close. But on the day we were leaving for our visa appointment , we tested positive for COVID, and the trip had to be cancelled at the last moment.
And the losses didn’t stop there. One evening, Rajesh came running and said, “Today was the last day to cancel the hotel bookings.” I just stared at him, thinking — the trip was already a lost case… why didn’t you cancel them earlier? At that point, all we could do was quietly accept the loss and move on.
At that time, it felt heartbreaking. But looking back now, that phase of dreaming, planning, and imagining Paris still became a beautiful memory of its own.
And the best part is we eventually made it to Paris in 2023, carrying all those dreams with us two years later.
Our three-year-old daughter has already traveled on 50+ flights and explored 13 countries with us. For some people traveling with kids is a scary idea, but one thing that these trips taught us is not.
With thoughtful planning, patience, and a little flexibility, I’m not saying every ambitious trip will go smoothly. But it’s the acceptance of chaos and the spontaneity you never planned for that make each journey truly distinct. For us, even with all the planning, it’s our appetite and tolerance for adventure that make every trip feel different—and even a little addictive—even when we return to the same destination.
Travel is not just about reaching a destination. It’s also about the story that begins long before we arrive ,the anticipation, the excitement, the late-night planning, and the imagination that slowly shapes the journey.
Maybe that’s the real beauty of travel: we get to experience places twice — first in our dreams, and then, if we are lucky, in reality.
And when we finally arrive, it feels like a story we once imagined has come alive — only to realize that the version we dreamed of was a draft version.
— Sruthi & Rajesh
Pura Vida in Four Days: Our Costa Rica Escape
— Valsan Palikaillathu
This trip to Costa Rica wasn’t planned long in advance. I had a couple of vacation days to burn before taking a short break from work, and we decided on a quick fourday getaway including a weekend. The options were Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Cancun, or Machu Picchu – which was a stretch for just four days. Choosing one was easy. We both love being close to nature, and Costa Rica offers everything on a platter: a lively city in San José, the volcanic town of La Fortuna with hot springs and hanging bridges, rainforests everywhere, and a climate that feels like home. We also found reasonable tickets (with the small risk of flying Spirit one way), so the plan was set.
We watched a few YouTube videos, checked ChatGPT, and took suggestions from friends who had visited earlier. Finally, we settled on one night in San José and two nights in La Fortuna. Hotels were booked, a car rented from Avis, and everything else left flexible – we would figure things out as we went.
Day 1 – Reaching There
We started early on April 30th to catch the 6 AM flight. It was a long journey from Columbus to Fort Lauderdale and then to San José on Spirit. Little did we know Spirit would declare bankruptcy the very next day, leaving thousands stranded. Luckily, our flight was smooth and uneventful. We flew over Cuba, Honduras, and Nicaragua – stunning views of rolling hills, dense forests, and winding rivers. It felt like flying over the Western Ghats.
San José airport felt small and lively, almost like an Indian airport – people shouting names, holding boards, chaotic traffic outside. We tried arranging hotel transport, but since it had to be prebooked, we went ahead with the rental car.
Driving through San José felt like driving in Kerala – narrow roads, winding slopes, people walking on both sides, and absolutely no honking. The roads were smooth, traffic slow, and the scenery beautiful. After an hour, we reached Hotel Presidente in downtown San José. We got an upgrade to a beautiful suite overlooking the city. The location was perfect – right on the pedestrianonly Central Avenue.
We walked around, had a late lunch at a very local restaurant (limited vegetarian options), visited a church and the National Museum area, and soaked in the festivallike atmosphere. Streets were filled with vendors selling fruits, vegetables, and local snacks. It felt like being back in a Kerala town during a local festival.
Day 2 – The Scenic Drive to La Fortuna
We slept early and woke up to a beautiful sunrise over mistcovered hills. After a quick breakfast, we headed out toward La Fortuna, taking the scenic route with planned stops at Poás Volcano (which we couldn’t enter earlier), Starbucks Hacienda Alsacia, La Paz Waterfall, and several viewpoints.
Poás Volcano required prebooking, and with no internet near the entrance, we had to skip it again. So we continued to the Starbucks coffee farm. The drive was gorgeous – narrow mountain roads, lush greenery, and no shoulder space anywhere. We stopped right on the road for photos like everyone else.
At the coffee farm, we enjoyed their signature brew and, as always, met a Malayalee family. They had moved to Costa Rica ten years ago for a tech job and shared tips for our trip. After a warm Mallu chat, we continued toward La Fortuna.
We found a hidden gem of a restaurant perched on a mountainside – simple food, amazing views. The fruits were unbelievably fresh. Later, we hit a traffic jam caused by a roadside waterfall. People simply stopped on the narrow road to admire it, causing chaos. After that, the drive was smooth.
We reached La Fortuna by 4 PM and checked into Volcano Lodge – a stunning property with hot springs, lush gardens, and views of Arenal Volcano. The hot springs were heavenly – warm volcanic water, multiple pools, a swimup bar, and no crowds. The cottages had a rustic charm, surrounded by greenery and birdsong. It felt like living inside a rainforest.
Dinner was at an Indian restaurant in town – delicious food, openair seating, and a relaxed tropical vibe. Prices were slightly high, but understandable in a tourist town. We returned to the lodge and slept peacefully.
Day 3 – Waterfalls, Volcanoes, Bridges, and Ziplines
This was the most adventurous day. ChatGPT helped us plan the sequence: waterfall first, then volcano hike, hanging bridges, lunch, and finally ziplines. Spirit had folded the previous night, and I woke up to concerned messages from friends – thankfully, our return flight wasn’t on Spirit.
We reached La Fortuna Waterfall by 7 AM. Only a few people were there. To reach the falls, you descend about 500 steep steps into a gorge. By the time we reached halfway, we got our first glimpse – a tall, powerful waterfall crashing into a turquoise pool. The sound echoed through the canyon. The air was cool and misty, and the whole place felt untouched. The climb back up was a workout, but worth every step.
Next, we drove to the Arenal Volcano hike. The weather was perfect – sunny, around 55°F. The 5mile trail had mild climbs and stunning views. At the highest viewpoint, the entire valley opened up below us, and the volcano stood tall and clear. No clouds, no fog – we could even see a faint plume of smoke from the peak. The landscape was unique, with lava rocks, distinct plants, and birds everywhere. It felt like walking through a living ecosystem shaped by fire.
After breakfast at the resort, we headed to the Mistico Hanging Bridges. Walking above the rainforest canopy on gently swaying bridges was magical. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, birds called from the treetops, and the views were endless.
Lunch was at a roadside restaurant with open spaces and beautiful views. Simple food, fresh fruits, and a cool breeze – perfect.
Then came the 7course zipline adventure. Each line was longer and faster than the last. We flew over deep valleys, treetops, and open landscapes with the volcano in the background. It was thrilling, unforgettable, and the highlight of the trip.
We ended the day back in the hot springs, relaxing our tired muscles in warm volcanic water. The quiet evening, soft lights, and lush surroundings made it the perfect end to an actionpacked day.
Day 4 – Poás Volcano and the Journey Back
We started early to reach San José airport by 11 AM. This time, we had prebooked Poás Volcano. The drive was peaceful, with morning mist and cool air. The trail to the crater was short and easy. As we reached the viewpoint, the massive crater came into view – a huge bowl with steep rocky walls and a milky turquoise lake at the bottom. Steam rose gently from the surface. It was surreal, powerful, and incredibly beautiful. We were lucky to get a clear view, as clouds often block the crater.
After spending time there, we drove to San José, returned the car, relaxed in the lounge, and flew back home. The return journey was smooth and uneventful.
Final Thoughts
Costa Rica surprised us in every way. The people are warm, polite, and content. The nature is breathtaking – rainforests, volcanoes, waterfalls, and endless greenery. The weather is tropical and refreshing, with misty mornings and sudden drizzles. The food is simple but fresh, especially the fruits. The culture is grounded, peaceful, and deeply connected to nature. People live simply, without disturbing the environment – something we can learn from.
In just four days, Costa Rica gave us adventure, serenity, beauty, and memories that will stay with us forever. It’s a place that teaches you to slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy the pure, simple joys of life.
Pura Vida – now I understand why they say it with so much heart.
— Valsan Palikaillathu