Its that time of year - the one when we reflect on the year gone by, ruminate the accomplishments and dissappointments, weigh them all in to see where the scales tip to decide the success of the year.
I'm doing the same. albeit sitting in another country. in an apartment in a city apart from the one I moved to, the third Im visiting this christmas. A change I could'nt forsee myself last new years even stretching my imagination. Last year this time I was contemplating a job change to be that 'stimulant' in my life. In retrospect, that would've been a mild ripple in the wave of change Im engulfed in.
So where are the scales tipped? This has been a good good year. I'm glad I had the courage to get out of the shell I was living in, protected by friends and family pigeonholed in the same routine. This was as out there as I could throw myself, and Im lucky to have had parents support me through my decision. I had aunts and uncles who wanted me to 'get engaged' before I left because 'it was the right thing to do' (long distance for two years with a stranger, no thanks)
In my five months here Ive travelled to 3 cities Ive always wanted to visit already - Seattle, SF and Im in Los Angeles for the new years! San Diego is a road trip that could happen 2 days from now (fingers crossed). Of course this is austerity at its best - tickets booked 2 months in advance at cheapest days and dates staying with distant friends and relatives and who not.
I've also relearnt to be a student - broke, hungry, sleepy, frustrated, stingy, - the whole enchillada. I've re-learnt to be in situations where I'm not familiar with the dicsussion and not feeling out of place - we get complacent with our knowledge and positions at our jobs, dont we?Being a student at 26 with 4 years of work ex and oodles of money to be spent on 'necessities' such as bags and shoes and other extravangazas and now adjusting to one bag and 3 pairs of regular footwear is just all kinds of wrong'
I've learnt to sit in one place with a book and pore over it for hours and not turn on facebook. (ok, this one took some time!) I learnt to cook - this was a big one. From a make only chai person I now make dals, rice, chicken biryani, peas potato, cabbage, ladyfinger u name it, I cook it! big big accomplishment for me! I documented each little one by sending during and after pictures of everything I cooked to my mom - overdoing it? yes! but thats the Indian way no? of excesses and exaggerations? :)
All in all, a year of a lot of learning, re-learning, letting go, holding on. 2011, here I am!
6 comments:
good for you. i think 20s is so perfect for stretching yourself. i can see you are raring to go for 2011
Cooking is totally an accomplishment!! :) I agree hands down :) am quite much in the same situation now, where you were last year.. your post only gave me a positive hope.. that things will be fine in the year to come :)
Happy new year to you! :)
nice!! Loved the bits abt being a student and austerity. Right now, a book can only put me to sleep and my attention span is like a gold-fish - cannot read more than one web page at a time! Have been trying to break that habit by reading a book on my cell phone and managed to complete one during my 20 minute bus ride over a period of few days! It was not easy!!
Happy New Year to you :-)
Good you didnt get engaged... It makes for easier road trips :-)
this is for getting follow up comments!
You need to add Facebook Like buttons for your posts. I would Like the shit out of this one. I know exactly the kinds of people you're talking about.
Whoops, that comment was meant for your previous post! Sorry :P
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