When I posted last in 2020, never knew life would be so crazy! The only best thing that happened after our trip from home was our first visit to the mighty and maginificient Himalayas! A trip to Himachal was long awaiting and when that happened, it became a trip for lifetime! I still have memories fresh in my mind and heart even after 3 years. May be, those memories were the ones that kept us going through the deadly COVID situation.
Facing and coming out of the deadliest pandemic, there was a complete shift in the life and lifestyle. Working from home and working for home became the way of life. To keep the mind focused and sane, I turned to several hobbies which actually (suprisingly!) brought out the best in me! I took up gardening (since I just had to get something to my home and a pet dog was not feasible), brought my creativity in the form of art and crafts and experimenting in the kitchen. The outcome was always so satisfying and I ended up doing a range of home decor stuff and getting out dishes ranging from pizza and cakes to cookies and ice creams from my kitchen. With outdoors closed, the best way to chill and relax was to have closed gatherings and barbecue parties at home and driving to offbeat places with food and stuff! The year ended with a trip to Phulbani and Daringbadi in Odisha and celebrating new year with family and friends!
Came 2021 and life was more or less same with the virus becoming deadlier and people caring lesser. The major highlight of the year was my little sister getting married! It was a beautiful ceremony and a memorable family gathering! The perfect end to the year was ticked off with a trip to the western coastal Karnataka and welcoming the new year with a house party!
2022 came with its own adventures! We had to do a major setup in our rented house with the hope of making it our home for at least the next 4-5 years. We got enrolled ourselves in a trip to Kashmir and it was our second ever visit to the Himalayas! Kashmir with all its issues and problems was beautiful in its own way. Even though there was tension at every step but the place was truly heaven! The best part was traveling with friends (which I would so recommend for Kashmir) and sharing memories for life! Thankfully we went with the trip for life was about to take a complete shift with R’s family arriving and staying with us for almost 5 months. Among the chaos and crowd, the most eventful thing happened. We found a perfect house to make our home!
Making a house a home is no easy task. It takes a lot of mental space and I don’t know how many sleepless nights I have spent on finalising the designs. From the day we registered for our new home (2nd August, 2022) till the day we had the housewarming (18th November, 2022), we were completely drained. The only relief was when Ma-Bapa came to stay with us a month earlier and we got some helping hand. Before R’s family came, we were all prepared to make arrangements for everything. With 12-15 people staying with us, each day was an event!
The housewarming was a beautiful ceremony with family and friends. A special day with special people! Our anniversary last year was also very special where we celebrated it in our Home with our people! We were truly blessed to have everyone we love with us!
Setting up this home would have been difficult but thanks to Ma for being my saviour. She completed the majority of works and I could manage the rest with my office. The last month of 2022 was spent cherishing every moment at home. Even the year end parties and get-togethers were also hosted at our home! Amidst all the chaos, 2022 will always be remembered fondly by us for being such a wonderful milestone in our journey!
2023 kicked off well and I was super excited for Chinki’s housewarming and Ma-Bapa coming to Bangalore again! We made sure that they weren’t bored this time like they were last year. We took them to Kotilingeswar, Bannerghetta Park and Safari and Bull Temple. It was a good break for us too! Chinki’s housewarming was beautiful, so much like her home! It was a moment for another get-together with family. Parents left for Odisha and we were back to our life again. Work for home, work from home and work from office once a week became the routine and so the stress. To get rid of all these unwanted stress, my resolution of 2023 has been to focus on my health and mind. The efforts are going well so far (even during our trips to Mysore and Pondicherry this year) and I can feel the positive vibes from all corners! Hopefully these vibes make 2023 memorable and wonderful for all us!
It’s courage, not luck, that takes us through to the end of the road! -Ruskin Bond
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