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.