Ringing in the new year with best wishes for all of us. Here’s to a happy, healthy and fulfilling new year 2023 for all of us!
Meanwhile, there are some 2022 roundup posts that I’ll be bringing in the new year! See you on the other side ❤️
2021 sucked for me (and a lot of others). I didn’t know how to frame it, but i have been meaning to write about it since long.
It sucked in more ways than one. Of course, the obvious one. The second wave of Covid hit India and how. Left us scarred for life. Lost family member and many known ones. I honestly have nothing but gratitude for all of us who recovered. It was the worst, most difficult time for a lot of people. The medical infrastructure in India crashed badly, people were struggling for hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and this is India’s that population who can afford to. The biggest blessing at that time was not to see a hospital. And, therefore, blessed i was. My parents, Rahul and I, all of us got Covid. My brother had antibodies from the first wave I guess which is why he didn’t get it.
Apart from Covid, what really hurts me this year beyond limits is that I had two goals for this year (that i won’t be sharing at this point) none of which I could fulfill. Here’s the deal – it hurts not because they didn’t get fulfilled but because the onus for these two was completely on me. So, you can say that I was in a huge self-loathing or self-hatred phase this year.
Actually one of the goals is super personal and ideally it shouldn’t even be a goal, it should just happen as a regular thing. But it didn’t. The fact that I couldn’t take a move on this made me care so less about the other goal (which actually is a goal, something i have to do as a life goal that will make me extremely happy for myself).
Now I feel like I should also do a things i was thankful for in 2021, but yeah, i am sorry for starting this year’s posts like this.
I hope it only gets better and happier from now for you and me! Wishing you all a wonderful start to the new year ❤️
Ushering in the new year watching Mirzapur in bed (truly grateful <3). I had one more new year plan which didn’t quite materialize – put a besan (gram flour) face mask on with Rahul – this Rahul refuses because it’s cold. So, well, Mirzapur it is.
I don’t want to end this year without doing a roundup of my favorites, because it would be a nice recollection of the year that went by:
Favorite movie
Cannot say that I watched too many, but still from the limited ones, I don’t have a favorite. In fact, I would rather link this list of my favorite re-watches. I watched most of these in 2020 as well.
Favorite Show
I watched quite some shows online this year, especially with the lockdown. I know I am still far behind what with people consuming every new show on Netflix these days (something which you may have guessed because of my watching Mirzapur in end of Dec!) but by own standards, I watched quite some. Among these, Panchayat was my favorite, simply because it was a refreshing concept.
Favorite Food
Well, well, well. This is a tough one, because I love food too much to pick just one favorite. However, I am going to pick an unexpected one – Momos is one of my most favorite things on Earth and I didn’t expect to find them in Surat, but forget finding them, I got to sample some of the best ones I have ever had here in Surat. There is a ‘Darjeeling Momos’ stall right next to where I live and the people selling the momos seem to be from North East, some of the best ones I have ever had!
Favorite Outfit
I scored a pair of Zara formal pants at Brand Factory on great discount and it was everything I have ever wanted in a pant – well fitted but flared bottom and that steely Grey color! I love it and am itching to wear it to work, except that I don’t want to go to work, I am quite happy with wfh now!
Favorite Skin Care Product
None. I tried a lot of new stuff this year and I was so looking forward to chemical exfoliation changing the game for me but nothing really worked. As in, nothing bad happened, but nothing good happened either. On the other hand, this was an year of all the random make-up purchases working awesomely. The irony is that there were not much occasions to wear them to. 😀
Favorite Book
I am going to pick 3 here because I enjoyed all of them equally – 1) A Man called Ove – endearing & emotional, I have logged down my love for this one here at Instagram, 2) I’ve Got Your Number – nothing new here, it never happens that I read a Kinsella and don’t enjoy it to the core and 3) Shoe Dog – this was an unexpected one. Phil Knight’s autobiography on how he set up Nike was one of the best stories I read this year and a lot of people will relate to this feeling. So well written! As the testimonials on the book say, Phil is a great storyteller.
Favorite Event
One of my closest friends got married this year in November. This was a wedding which I was waiting for since the beginning of the year because it was the last wedding of my friend circle of post grad. We were really hoping that it doesn’t happen during Corona, but it did and while we were in extreme dilemma about attending, but since the beginning we knew it will be a huge regret if we skip this wedding. Hence, we went and it was truly one of the funnest times of my year. I just realized that even the other two of my friends from my post grad group got married to each other this year as well, in Jan, when Corona didn’t exist for us. Aside this, small joys like watching random things on tv with family when lockdown had just started counts big time too. I have always enjoyed watching Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana and it started airing like a proper show on TV during the beginning of lockdown. We recently went to a beach resort here near to Surat and it was a lovely experience too. I also want to give a special mention to an amazing product that I bought this year in the middle of lockdown – it was my first non-essential purchase after March. The below lovely Parama blouse.
While typing out this post, the new year has just begun. I wish you a very happy, healthy and successful new year! Hope this new year brings tons of luck and happiness for all of us! I couldn’t be more thankful for 2020, even though it was the oddest year that we have been alive for but still there’s a lot to be grateful for – being near to your parents more often, a healthy life, food and roof, a fulfilling life. Truly grateful.
Hello there! Welcome to the year 2019!
I am very excited as there are a lot of new things happening in my life which will materialize in 2019, so really looking forward to that. (And to new year in general).
But, amidst all this, what remains unchanged is my itch to be consistent on the blog (which I never manage to fulfill). So, I have only one new year resolution – to blog every day in this year. A lot is happening so this seems like a difficult resolution to keep especially in this year, however, I am going to try with all sincerity.
Let’s see how this goes. 🙂
Now, tell me your resolution?
Or, or, what you are doing today?
People who barely post all year round and then have pants in their ants ants in their pants to do the year end post, just because, life’s better with recording mota-mota highlights from throughout the year. 🙂
I was very happy that one of my most favorite bloggers finally posted before the year completed and I am going to take her idea of talking about the year month by month. Mostly because my year also had month specific highlights. 😀
Jan to July saw me in Dubai for a business ‘trip’. I always thought it to be a trip, because initially it was told as a fixed timeline thing. So, I never really realized that I managed to complete 6 months there because almost every month was spent feeling ‘oh, the work’s just about done!’. Then, there was also talk around making it a more permanent thing, which never really excited me. I really wanted to be based out of India at this point. So, I took the happiness first route and did what I really felt like doing and came back to India. Anyhow, I met very, very nice people there who were super supportive and helpful and I am going to cherish that big time! Also, one of my close friends made a trip to Dubai and we did a lot of tourist-y things in Dubai and Abu Dhabi along with some of the friends I made there. Real nice times!
Dubai
August saw me back in Bangalore. It was kind of a haphazard month with house hunting and getting into the new work assignment. But, but, it was also my birthday month and Rahul had a really sweet, adorable surprise planned. First of all, it does not matter what the surprise is because so much effort from that boy who is super non-materialistic and does not really get excited about random stuff is really a big deal, I almost feel bad that the lazy ass had to get out of his comfort zone so much. Anyhow, a whole post about that is already sitting in my drafts, to be published sometime later in 2019. 🙂
Trip to Jaipur
September, I definitely remember September being good and fun but reasons I don’t remember really. I moved to a new place in Bangalore and settled in slowly. Then, Delhi trip was definitely much needed. There was a trip at the end of September to Gokarna. Gokarna is just about fine, but it never hurts to visit a new place, right?
Gokarna
Byg Brewski, Bangalore
October marked the beginning of something new in life. More on that later.
November was Diwali month and quite an additionally happy one because we were working on something regarding what started in October 😉 and we made a road trip regarding the same to one of my favorite places in the world. I am sorry but pretty sure that you will have to re-read this post several times in 2019 to connect the dots of what all I am talking about, if you are actually concerned that is!
Funny pose but wanted to put this nonetheless
And here we are in December, more work, more excitement, more confused feelings about what started in October and there are already some good things underway which makes me look forward to 2019 infinitely!
Edit: Totally forgot to mention that I took my first non-business solo trip to Pondicherry in the end of 2018. It was totally on a whim, but I am so glad I did this because remember I mentioned here in the 2017 year end post that I really want to take a non-business solo trip in 2018? So grateful for how things work out. 🙂
Now, for the important bit, how was your 2018 like? I would love to know in comments.
Also, tomorrow I’ll post about my new year resolution.
A very happy and prosperous new year to all!
A very happy new Year to all of us 🙂 I hope the year 2015 brings lots of happiness for all of us. Here’s to bigger dreams, stronger will powers, happier times and living life to the fullest no matter what the challenge is. 🙂
My Facebook status currently reads ‘Ringing in the new year with a humble visit to Shahjahan’s Delhi when the world parties it all out in Lutyens’ Delhi (in the end, we did visit Shri Bangla Sahib in Lutyens’)’. For those who have no idea about what I am saying, basically I and my brother visited the Sam’s Cafe in Paharganj today evening which is in Old Delhi. Old Delhi was built during the Mughal era, so that’s why Shahjahan’s Delhi. Quite a choice for visiting on New Year but, oh well. Then we also visited Shri Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in Connaught Place. CP was designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens’ (just Google-d the full name) during the British rule, so areas designed by him are popularly known as Lutyens’ Delhi. The idea of this post came through a comment by Tatsat where he asked to talk about things we did on New Year. It’s good that he expected that I’ll be doing something happening. 😛
Sam’s Cafe, Paharganj
Shri Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Connaught Place. So beautiful, I know!
PS: I just checked my annual report card at WordPress and it is a really, really fun thing to do. Check mine here and definitely check your too, you must have got an email notification about the same on your registered email by WordPress.
Have a very happy new Year everyone! 🙂
Life of Srish 