2018

Now, I am going to recap the whole of 2018 as I remember it.

I feel this is the most productive year after the academic year of 2010-11. I don’t want to get into the reasons of why this is so. So, let’s keep that aside.

Moving from 2017 to 2018, I was thinking of becoming a freelancer. I was travelling quite a bit. One of my friends even mentioned that I am travelling to three places in less than a month. Yes, that was true. In fact, last year on 2^nd January, I was returning from one of my interpretation assignments. That assignment involved travelling to Aurangabad and Hyderabad and back to Mumbai. So, to be precise, I started my year in a train to Hyderabad and had an awesome day there.

Once I came back, I went to Shegaon, again for work purpose for 2 days, for 4 months in a row. (Shegaon is a place in Maharashtra but it is quite different. Those trips ended for me in April, 2018. This whole time I was working with an organization which worked on alternative teaching modules focusing on career development. I was also writing the blog for Art Plus Blue foundation. The frequency of these blogs varied as per my other work schedule.

In February, my cousin got married. I travelling and got hurt like a crazy woman that I am. The work stayed homeostasis. This was also the time I was helping my friend with translations and transcriptions for saving our dear forest, Aarey Forest, in Mumbai.

March was a difficult month as the work pressure increased due to the schools wrapping things up. This was also the time I decided that I wanted to go in the mode of a complete freelancer.

In April, I wrapped up my work with the educational organization.

On 2^nd May, 2018, I started living alone. In the month of May, I took up an assignment in an exhibition for Japanese interpretation, which went well. I went for a trek in between out of nowhere to Kalsubai, the Everest of Maharashtra. At the end of this month, I travelled to Shimla for work and fun. This trip was linked to another NGO called Empower People, which worked for trafficked brides.

The month of June was dull and sick. I waited for rains which didn’t come. Certain challenges were coming up and I had realised that I had changed. I also realised that it was difficult to not change!!! I geared up to tackle all that with my friend telling me something like People want to be where you are. All you are worried about is your emotional hygiene and people spend their lives figuring out a lot of other stuff. I got and accepted an offer to work as a remedial English teacher from an NGO called Khula Aasman. In this month, my brother stopped talking to me.

In July, I dealt with a few health issues and went on a trek with Phiroza, where I realised I could still sleep properly. I did not give my exam due to health issues. I spent the moth tying up the loose strings in terms of sleep, emotions, health, social life and so on. I started working at Khula Aasaman and regular sessions began in the middle of the month.

I visited my native place and had an awesome time staying at home. It was irritating as due to rains I could not go out at all. I was soaked in love there and realised that I was missing it horribly after I came back. My close friend moved to another country this year, too. In this month, I got an offer to work as a lecturer in a collage, MMK, Bandra, on a part time basis. I accepted the offer.

In September, I started working in the collage. I also got another assignment of Japanese interpretation with Art Plus Blue Foundation. The remedial English sessions continued.

In October, the part time work with the collage concluded. I stared working with a child with special needs and started helping her with her studies as a remedial teacher. I went with my mother for a naming ceremony which rekindled my relationship with one of my cousins.

In November, I went to Vapi for an assignment of Japanese interpretation for 7 days. It was hectic but it turned out to be a very good experience.

In December, I did not give one of the exams I was preparing for. The other exam was not so bad. I attended a wedding for which I had been shopping in the month of November. It was a great day but gave me bad throat and fever. At the end of this month, I went for a research assignment to Shimla. It was hectic but turned out to be an eye-opening experience.

All in all, this year brought to me a lot of learning. It showed me things that I had not seen before and made me peep beyond scientific thought and reasoning. It encouraged and reinforced me to believe in the universe and strive to do my best. It told me that I may not be the best because there is always scope for improvement but I am good enough and most importantly, capable enough. The experiences in this year told me to have faith in myself and what I believed in no matter what others said. It told me the way forward I have chosen for myself was unique and suitable for me. I need not second guess myself, even when I have not had a solid plan. It also told me that if I decide to do something, I can conquer anything. All that was needed was the strong willingness.

So, in the end, I would like to thank a lot of people who made it possible to survive and learn. The list of the names goes as follows:

Aai, Father, Omkar, Atya, Aaji, Reema, Roma, Yuvraj, Anuradha, Pavitra Ma’am, Ajay Sir, Shafiq Ji, Parikshit Ji, Ruhi Ji, Madhuri, Chetana, Rosanna, Sarita Ma’am, Abhay, Gitanjali, Priti, Ranjana Tai, Stalin Sir, Vandana Tai, Sunita Tai, Smita Tai, Ashwini, Kshipra, the Japanese guests and employers, Shraddha and her family, Reema’s mother, Dada, Aaradhya, Dogs in my vicinity, Phiroza, Okazusan, Akkosan, Trees that I met everywhere, Sayali and her husband, Angel 2.0, Ankan Das, trekking buddies in Shimla, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and other social networking sites and applications, air, water, land and the vaccum, Runa ma’ma, Garima, and Kanta Ji. I am sure there are people I have missed. Please humanity, take a bow of gratitude from me for making it possible to live.

I would like to thank Green Tara, the lily lady, the blinking city, the UJ hanging, the lit lantern, the water plants, the musical bird, and last but not the least my Natalie and my sweetheart…

Thank you very much universe for making it all possible <3