Summer flies swiftly by each year. My family, my children and I split our time between Europe, India and the Far East, avidly exploring the world - spending a good chunk of our time, of course, at our home in India. Come the end of August, however, I bid adieu to India and prepare to return to my second home, in New York city.

Although I've been splitting my time between two continents for more than a decade now, the transition from one world to the next remains as fascinating as the first time I made it. New Delhi, Mumbai and New York are so different, yet so similar, from their simultaneous fall Fashion Weeks to the abundance of holidays that occur before January. Being in New York during the fall for me, a native of India, is at once familiar and strange and I find myself looking forward to the journey to America as the summer comes to an end.

Overwhelming as it is to deal with organising my life back again in the city - particularly tackling the mountains of paperwork and preparing my children for school again - I feel an undeniable sense of excitement about the approaching season. Essentially touching base with my dear friends, planning fall parties and preparing for the upcoming winter holidays.

Even before the celebrations can begin, I must explore the possibilities of a new fall wardrobe...! As a former fashion designer, there's nothing I look forward to more than the new fashions, which evolve as quickly as the seasons themselves. Fashion this year, like never before, showcases the woman of today - full of confidence and coming into her own. Among my top choices are the wide belts, skinny pants, classic white shirts, heavy heels and elegant furs in the windows of J. Mendel and Dennis Basso - all delightful! My wish list also includes Jimmy Choo's fur-trimmed shearling boots, J. Mendel's feminine gowns, Ralph Lauren's black label velvet skirts and jackets, Louis Vuitton's tweed jackets. After a long day shopping along Madison Avenue - to me, truly one of the world's greatest boulevards - I often like to stop at one of the fashionable cafes along the way, such as Le Charlot, BilBouquet, La Goulue and Nello. There, chic shoppers enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat while chatting about exotic summer adventures, South Hampton gossip and talk of the fanciest summer camps all over the country.

My attention isn't entirely focused on fashion! New York is alive with energy, as people seem to emerge from the shadows in the fall to take advantage of all that the city has to offer. Chief among all pleasures is the famed Central Park. What a thrill it is for me to stroll among the early morning joggers, making the rounds near the reservoir; and what better to inspire me to get into shape after the countless culinary indulgences I enjoyed in New Delhi and Mumbai all summer? As with each fall, I begin a new fitness regime to squeeze myself back into my size 2 jeans. Thank the Lord I'm not alone in this struggle: the gyms and yoga centres throughout the city, from the 'David Bartons' to 'Yoga Works', are filled to the brim with gorgeous women doing pilates, spinning and, of course, yoga. When I first came to New York, I was highly skeptical about the Americanised version of this desi ancient practice, but after I learnt that my instructor was among dozens, if not hundreds, of highly educated and trained yogis throughout the city, I had newfound respect for the regimen and began doing it regularly.