July 5th 2015

Weekend brunch with friends

 

My last Starbucks latte! 

Saying bye to bad customer service and burnt coffee!

Window shopping with Jig

Only thing in that Cartier bag is a catalog

4th of July with the parents

This was a short work week but did it ever pack a punch! The next few weeks are going to be really crazy busy, so I am trying to soak up as much of my time off during this holiday weekend as I can. I am dreading the next month like a college student dreading finals week. Here's hoping I make it through relatively unscathed.

I also decided I am starting the 12 week Bikini Body Guide on Monday, so wanted to sneak in a few last greasy meals before I give them up for at least the next 12 weeks. Don't worry pizza and country potatoes, I will figure out a way to incorporate you back into my life. For now, I need a break. It's not me, it you. You are so good but so bad and I just to need to let go of our unhealthy cycle of indulgence and guilt. 

I had a lot of downtime this long weekend to think and plan and figure out some stuff that was gnawing at the back of my mind. I want to change some things in my life and I have accepted that those changes have to be gradual and I know they are fully in my control. So, the next few months are going to be about that; about gradual, deliberate change that I can look back at and feel like I accomplished something. The fitness program is definitely one aspect of that change, but there's more than just that. I think it's time for a mind-body-soul reset of things. 

Pivoting Moments

June 27th, 2015

This week I keep thinking about pivoting moments. Those moments after which the narrative of your life changes. Some of these we can expect and prepare for like weddings and babies and college. Some just grab you by surprise like promotions and death and accidents. Then there are the tiny pivots where you don't even realize you're changing direction until you look back and see where you were. This weekend we got to witness a pivoting moment in the life of a good friend when she got married. It's an odd tug to see someone whom you have known for a long time become part of a couple. It's a moment of happiness filled with the feeling of knowing things are about to change. It's the same feeling you have at graduation. It's a happy moment with an undercurrent of this-is-it, it-won't-ever-be-the-same-again. 

The wedding weekend was great. Deepi, Jig, and I kicked it off on Friday with a day of mani-pedis and hanging out at Jig's house. It took me back to two or three years ago when doing that was just an ordinary Friday or Saturday night. Somewhere in the last few years, our lives pivoted away from each other; some for geographical reasons and some due to just gradual other things taking over. But still, it was a good day to talk and feel like we were 22. The day of the wedding was a flurry of getting ready and talking photos. Then the ceremony began and it was a beautiful time. During the gap between wedding and cocktails, we went back to Jig's to chill out from the heat and watch Disney movies. Then off we went to a reception filled with more pictures, food, and dancing. I am pretty sure I am a sucker for weddings; what a great way to acknowledge and celebrate a pivoting moment in your life in the presence of everyone you love and those who love you back. 

The Big Things

I spent a few hours yesterday reading my diary from high school and I realized how much I missed journaling. So, I decided to restart this thing again because ten years from now, it will make for a very entertaining Saturday afternoon read filled with lots of "what the hell was I thinking?!"moments. I guess let's restart the easiest way, which is to recap the big things that have happened this year.

Eluru, India, Jan 2015

The first day of 2015 I was on a plane headed to India to meet up with my parents and reconnect with the rest of my family. The trip was fairly uneventful but it was good quality time with the grandparents. The downside of living in California is that I barely get to see my grandparents and the older they get, the more I feel the pang of not being there with them. So though the trip itself was unremarkable in terms of activities, I am glad I was able to spend time with my favorite oldies. January blended into February and soon enough I was turning 28.

Feb 2015

I remember waking up on my birthday and rushing off to work because it was a Monday and it was busy season at work. I also remember waking up with throbbing tooth and gum pain. So, off I went for an emergency dentist visit where I found out nothing was wrong except that I was finally getting my wisdom teeth. Apparently the universe decided I was ready for them at the prime age of 28. Thankfully, the visit was short and I came back to the office to find a surprise birthday bouquet waiting for me. I left work promptly at 5 PM to take a Caltrain ride to Palo Alto and so began the best part about my day. I had a lovely dinner with Subs at Indo followed by scrumptious dessert at CREAM. Then I came home to my parents' place for our annual candle blowout and birthday cake celebration. In retrospect it was a perfectly ordinary birthday, but I loved every minute of it because I got to spend it with the people I loved.

Mendocino, Apr 2015

I would say the amount of time I spend outdoors has increased exponentially this year. Most of my Sundays are spent outdoors hiking and just enjoying California in general. Some of my favorite places so far have been Mendocino, Santa Cruz Wilder Ranch preserve, and Davenport beach. Some of these places I visited with my parents, but most of them have been with my partner-in-crime.

Subs and I, Spring 2015

That brings me to the biggest update in my life - my love life. This person who in a not-too-distant past was a complete stranger to me became the most important person in my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. I spend most of my day talking to him in some way and most our weekends together. He's met my friends and I have met his and we have become each other's best friends. In spring of this year, our families met and that meeting somehow cemented the reality of our future together. I have always been a romantic but I think that side of me has also taken over my personality in the past few months. The stupid love songs make more sense now and yes, I am more open with him than anyone else in my life. Beyonce got it right again; the walls do come tumbling down without a fight with the right person.

So, how is my life? In a nutshell, really good. Yeah, I need to lose a few pounds and I have some very stressful workdays and I worry about my grandparents' health and I hate driving in the Bay Area more and more everyday. Those clouds keep me up at night a lot of times. But then, I remember what I have and I get happy and incredibly grateful. I am happy to be with someone I love and can see a wonderful future with. I am thankful I have a job that challenges me and surrounds me with some incredible people. I am content with my family and the unyielding and unconditional support they provide. I am excited about my friendships and my friends who make me smile and laugh like a maniac. So, I guess that's the big update from me. At twenty-eight, I am happy with the life, grateful for the people in it, and excited to keep taking it one day at a time.

Twenty Fourteen

Dear 2014,

You are going to be a hard year to beat! You didn't go according to plan at all, but boy did you deliver some amazing memories. Years from now, what I will remember about this year are the travels and the surprises. I got to stretch my legs and go to some incredible places and see some amazing sights. From the awesome beach sunsets of California to the rolling green hills of Scotland, I got really lucky in my travels this year. One of my fondest memories will be stopping for brunch at a little coffee house in the countryside of Scotland by Balmoral. The beauty of the surroundings, the niceness of the people - it really made me realize what a wonderful we live in (yes, I stole that line from Mr. Armstrong).  My career took a step forward and that step came with a lot more work than ever before. There were definitely days and weeks where I had bags the size of Manhattan under my eyes and my shoulders were locked in a hunched position over my laptop. Still, I kept slugging through the work. I went through a disappointing few weeks when I realized my plans for going to graduate school abroad are not going to happen this year. My friends and family got me through that. My friends still held me up through thick and thin like they have always done. My personal life surprised me. I reconnected with people from the past and I met someone new who became a big part of my life. I let go of some friendships, made some new ones, and I met my new best friend. 

All in all, somethings didn't change at all this year and somethings did a complete 180. It's been an incredible year. I can honestly say that I am much happier on December 31st, 2014 than I was on January 1st, 2014. The biggest lesson I learned this year? Let go of your plans and let life surprise you once in a while. 

Goodbye, 2014! I am sad to see you go, but I am excited for 2015 to come in.

Lots of love,

M.K.

March: San Diego, California

May: Seattle, Washingtom

July: Lake Tahoe, California

August: Santa Cruz, California

September: London, UK

September: Edinburgh, Scotland

September: Balmoral, Scotland  

September: Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

October: Kauai, Hawaii

Home: San Francisco, California

Hello, I love you

Dress: Free People; Bracelet: J. Crew; Necklace: F21

Well, hello again. I don't even have any excuses for being a quiet mouse the last few weeks. Let's see - lots of storms kept me away. Work, travel, personal tasks, weather made for some very busy weeks. The crazy weather also meant I dressed pretty much in a uniform of rainboots, leggings, sweatshirts and scarves. Any free time I had was spent snuggling underneath blankets, watching movies, and just hibernating. Now that the rain has died down now and work is swiveling to an end, I am peaking out of my cave and embracing the holiday season.

I love this time of the year. Yes, it's commercialized and malls are crazy and people tend to behave like idiots on the road with all the crazy traffic. Yes, those part suck for me too but, that is such a tiny part of the holidays. I love seeing the city lit up. I love seeing people get dressed up for holiday parties and ditch the Bay Area uniform of shorts and tees. I love the baking and decorating the house in bright and glittering lights. Most of all - I love spending time with my people. This time of the year just feels like the perfect moment to tell all your people how much you love them and how thankful you are to have them in your life. I am looking forward to a week of holiday lunches, shopping with mom, watching movies with dad, dinners with my favorite dude, and wine nights with my best girls. Food + drinks + amazing people = perfect holiday season. 

London: Day 1

We're back in my favorite city to visit! Landed in London this morning to sunny skies and summer weather. True to my serial over-packing nature, me and my 50-pound suitcase made the trek from the airport to our rental unit with a lot of stubbed toes, groaning and weight lifting. Thank god, my suitcase is sturdy or else it would have been in a million plastic pieces along the concrete cobbled roads of London. The highlight of the journey was a cute British dude asking to help carry the suitcase up two flights of stairs. Class act all the way, London-town.

Places visited: Big Ben, Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey, Picadilly Circus, Chinatown

Restaurants: Waxy O'Connors in Picadilly Circus

It was really nice to walk around every where and enjoy the true summer weather. The site of Big Ben and the beautiful architecture surrounding it never gets old. We got to experience it right as the sun was setting so it made for some beautiful colors reflects off the metals. 

Life in Snapshots: August Week 4

49ers playing in their new home - Levi's Stadium

Celebrating my promotion with a few good friends! 

Best kale salad in the city

Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi with my family

My happiest place on earth - beaches of Santa Cruz