Sweet Sixteen, Heated Pool & Zero Sleep 🩷🥂

If you put nine teenagers, two cars, loud playlists, and a heated pool together for three days, you’re guaranteed chaos in the best way possible. That’s exactly how I celebrated sweet sixteen in Nashik, and honestly, I wouldn’t change a single moment.

Day 1📍

I got to celebrate my sweet sixteen exactly the way I’d always imagined, with my closest friends, for two whole nights, at my new house in Nashik. Nine of my friends came over on Friday evening. They were told to come at 8am, which obviously meant they arrived closer to 8:30. Lesson learned. Next time I’ll say 7:30😂.

As soon as everyone arrived, we split into two cars and set off, officially beginning our three hour road trip to Nashik.

The car ride itself was half the experience. No one was allowed to sleep. That was genuinely not an option. We had loud music blasting, random games, nonstop talking, and that kind of chaos that only happens when you put a bunch of excited teenagers in a car together. We got to drive on the Samruddhi Highway, which made the journey way smoother and faster. We stopped shortly after getting on the highway for vada pav 🤭, because priorities, and a quick break, and then it was straight back into the cars. The music got even louder, the excitement got higher, and we still had about an hour left to go.

By the time we reached, everyone was buzzing. I was just so happy to be back at The Holland House with my best friends, my mum, and my aunt 🤩. As soon as we arrived, my mum took over with the house tour because honestly, I was done functioning. All I cared about was getting into the pool. We quickly changed into our swimwear and sat down for the most amazing lunch. Veg and chicken Manchurian, chicken chilli, hot garlic sauce, and veg fried rice. Safe to say, we were very well fed.

After lunch, we decided to chill without our phones, except for music obviously. We played hide and seek, which sounds random but ended up being so fun. Way better than scrolling endlessly. Then came darkroom, where we scared each other so badly that some people were genuinely terrified, which somehow made it even more entertaining. We played a bit of pool after that and then rested for a while before heading back into the water.

The swim that evening was perfect. The weather was amazing, the pool was heated, and everything just felt calm in the best way. We played pool games, listened to music, and did what we do best. Gossip. We ended the night with a delicious dinner and finally cut my birthday cake, even though my birthday was a month ago. It was still such a sweet moment until my friends decided cake belonged on my face. Worth it.

Day 2 ☀️

The next day started late, as it should. We had breakfast with waffles and cereal, and then somehow ended up back in the heated pool, where we stayed pretty much the entire day. We swam, floated, talked, laughed, and only got out occasionally to play pool or grab snacks.

At some point, we all went to shower in our own bathrooms, with music blasting and everyone yelling jokes at each other from different rooms. Pure chaos, but the fun kind.

Later, we hung out in the bar room before dinner, talking with my mum and aunt. What started as casual conversation turned into them giving life advice, but honestly, it was actually really interesting and helpful. That calm moment didn’t last long though, because it quickly turned into singing and dancing again. If you know us, you know dancing is inevitable.

Dinner that night was a full barbeque, and it was so good. Surprisingly, the best thing was the barbecued pineapple. I know it sounds questionable, but it was actually amazing. And yes, after dinner, we danced again. My mum and aunt joined in, which was extremely embarrassing for me but my friends loved it, so we danced the night away 😭🙈.

Even after my mum and aunt went to sleep, my friends and I were wide awake. We played games like Jenga and Uno, and then because we clearly don’t know how to rest, we went straight back into the pool. Only four of us lasted until 4 a.m., just floating in the heated pool, slow music playing, gossiping under the night sky✨. It was slightly scary when the electricity would randomly go out, but at the same time, it was so peaceful.

Around 4, we finally got out, showered quickly, and crashed together in one of the bedrooms, just talking until we fell asleep.

Day 3 🥹

The last day was another late morning. We had breakfast, packed up, and right before leaving, my friends pushed me into the pool. I pretended to fight them, but honestly, I secretly wanted one last swim before we left, so I wasn’t complaining.

After a quick shower, we hit the road again, made a McDonald’s stop 🍟, and headed straight home.

This sweet sixteen trip was honestly everything I could’ve asked for. I’m so grateful I got to take my friends to Nashik and create memories I know we’ll be talking about forever. It wasn’t just a birthday celebration. It was laughter, chaos, late nights, and moments I’ll always hold close.

If you’ve made it this far, I hope this gave you a few ideas for how you might want to celebrate your own birthday, whether that’s a weekend getaway, a road trip with friends, or just switching off your phone and being present. And if Nashik is ever on your list, definitely check out The Holland House. It’s a place full of memories for me, and I hope it becomes one for you too. And to the ones who were there with me, thank you for making this weekend unforgettable. ❤️

Press play below. This playlist was basically the soundtrack to our chaos:

https://music.apple.com/in/playlist/sweet-sixteen/pl.u-JPAZzeVsLGK2qDY