2019 : The Year in Review

Beginnings are really obscure. Like writing this blog post after a year-long hiatus. But the very reason for this beginning is to take a step back and do a self-reflection. 

Yet again, it’s that time of the year – a time to take stock of the things of the past one year and reflect upon it. A time to set goals for the new year ahead and a time to move further into the abyss of life.

Perhaps it’s the long cold winter nights or the dry chill in the air, it often becomes quite murky and lonely deep inside me. It’s as if there has always been a cat lurking quietly and with the onset of the cold winter months, it's awakened up from a long hibernation stirring this very soul in me. 

But this cat, I consider it as a reawakening of the spirit in me, which is deemed to wake me up from a deep slumber, help me reposition myself and take charge of life. In short, it jolts me up from my often-battled existential crisis.

2019 was the year that I achieved my much-awaited dream of earning my Master’s Degree in Sustainable International Development. Graduate school was such a fun and great learning experience. I don’t mind going back to grad school and start another program all over again. 2 years went by in a jiffy. It was also a year of traveling and discovering boundaries beyond my sheltered comprehension.

It was a year of making the much-debated decision – of settling back in America or returning home. In a twist of events, I took the latter decision and moved continents to be back with my family and work. I believe that everything happens for a reason, as cliché as it may sound.

It’s a year that a new little member joined our family – my adorable nephew Samphel was born and it’s a joy to watch him grow. He’s growing cuter by the day. Of course, our pet Chelsea is super jealous of him and stays clear of him every time they meet. Time will clear this jealousy, I’m sure.

It’s a year of understanding who my real friends are. Perhaps, with age, this comes naturally. It’s also a year of new-found diverse friendship and support.

It’s also a year of starting work in a new organization and the realization that no matter how hard you try in the civil service, bureaucracy is going to remain the same – as sloppy as ever. It’s either you exit the system or join the pack of wolves and become one of them.

On the reading front, it’s the year that I read the least. I could read just 13 books, of which mostly were memoirs and non-fiction, but were really good ones and I enjoyed a lot. Finishing up grad school and moving continents and picking up from where I left two years ago is not an easy feat, at least for me. Yet, it’s all over now and behind my back.

I can’t wait for 2020 to begin, it’s a new era.  It’s time to start a dream passion project that has been on my mind for the longest time. 

Wising you all a great year 2020! May you all be blessed with abundant love, prosperity, good health, and happiness.