2020: A Year Full of Learnings
What a hell of a ride the last year has been! The emotional rollercoaster that (literally) took me places I could only dream of.
2020 sure was a time with uncertainty, chaos, and anxiety surrounding us. A whirlwind of
unanticipated events, realizations, musings, and (emotional) struggles chased me throughout the year. Hence, 2020 was also full of retrospection, self-discoveries, and introspection.
Torn between a juxtapose of so many things happening
around and yet nothing happening at all, something that worked for me was
wading through the year one day at a time. Few noteworthy lessons learned
from the global experience of the pandemic were never to take living for granted
and holding on to hope when the world seems upside down.
My significant achievement in the last year includes graduating with a Master’s in Computer Science from San Jose State University by successfully defending my master’s thesis. This opened an avenue of searching for employment in the United States. I was blessed with some enlightening interactions with the top talent in the country in the form of technical interviews. This experience definitely widened my horizons of knowledge. As a result of the lockdown, I eventually got to spend quality time with my extended family in the United States. After having spent 2 years in California, it was a refreshing encounter with another side of the States, that is the mid-west (Specifically, Indiana and Ohio). My takeaway from these circumstances was embracing the uncertainty and making the most of the situation we are presently in.
2020 also taught me smiling in strenuous times, seizing the day, laughing through all the seasons, making the most of every moment, letting go of things not meant for me, nonetheless appreciating the blessings in life, and never succumbing, come what may.
Most importantly, what truly kept me going was embracing the challenges in life while remaining unapologetically myself. Undeniably, it was an unforgettable year since the joy of experiencing any happy moment seemed to magnify immensely!
Here is a glimpse of some beautiful memories I made in 2020 (both pre and post lockdown) that I would cherish for a long time.
Beautifully written and such profound reflections!
ReplyDeleteThank you Mayuri, so glad you liked it!
DeleteThese memories will feed further thoughts with the passage of time. That's the process of growing up. Most would be pleasant remembrances, but some can be meloncholy as well. But bever mind, time flies in an immense sweep and memories make the core of you, reflecting, introspecting, remembering and ofcourse forgetting. Yet, the moments will remain with you like a whiff of fragrance that will come back to you often. Keep writing!😊
DeleteThese memories will feed further thoughts with the passage of time. That's the process of growing up. Most would be pleasant remembrances, but some can be meloncholy as well. But never mind, time flies in an immense sweep and memories make the core of you, reflecting, introspecting, remembering and ofcourse forgetting. Yet, the moments will remain with you like a whiff of fragrance that will come back to you often. Keep writing!😊
DeleteDear Sir,
DeleteThank you for your kind words of encouragement. Growing up sure is a process of learning from bittersweet incidents we experience throughout and our choice to accumulate versions of happy memories that make us smile in times of distress. You're right, memories do make a core of us, so does introspecting as well as forgetting them. All we need to do is turning moments into memories :)
Well drafted experiences and expressions, nice !!!👌
ReplyDeleteThank you, dad!
DeleteDear Rajeswari, The lens you see this world and life is so beautiful and it is reflecting in your amazing memoir. Here is another year, 2021 for you, just go and chase your dreams and explore life to the fullest in every dimension. - Satish
DeleteThank you so much, Satish.
DeleteIt means a lot to hear such encouraging words from friends as wonderful as you!
Well written thoughts! Positive mindset and learning attitude made it possible to celebrate achievements, memories and experiences in 2020. With the same approach you will have even better things to celebrate in 2021! Keep up the good work!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Kiran kaka.
DeleteI truly appreciate your encouragement. There are a lot of things to learn from you, positive mindset is just one of them. Thank you for always inspiring me.
Juxtapose Haan......
ReplyDeleteWell written though ����
Thank you, Sid!
DeleteHaha, yes, since 'juxtapose' was the perfect word for the situation that we were in 2020.