Although my blogging frequency has been quite low, I definitely would like to keep up the tradition of reviewing the concluded year. It feels nice to know that I can go back to get a glimpse of how the past 8 years were.
I read this interesting quote somewhere - "We overestimate how much we can achieve in a day and underestimate how much we can achieve in a year". 2013 was a productive and most importantly, an emotionally peaceful year. It started off with completing the long pending tasks (ones that are important but not urgent) such as dental treatments, health checkups, passport renewal and getting a new passport for D.
D has grown quite fast, from crawling to walking to running. She speaks so much and sings a lot of nursery rhymes. She is no longer a small baby but an individual with her own interests and wishes that "must" be fulfilled at any cost. She is in that phase where if she doesn't get what she wants, she will throw a big tantrum. At the same time, she does so many cute things that can just melt us and cheer our hearts. It feels like living my childhood all over again with her.
She has started going to a play-school nearby. Though it took her a while to settle down, it is a major milestone for us as a family. She is picking up English words and can recognize alphabets, colors, vegetables and fruits.
On the professional front, I got back to working with an early stage startup focused on a domain close to my heart. Nutrition and healthy living led me towards HealthifyMe. I reached out to the founders and we worked out an option of me working from home. Talking about remote work, I have lots to write about, which I shall do in a separate blog post. It has a been an interesting comeback after a 2 year break, with lots of learnings and opportunities. I also managed to attend Nasscom Product Conclave this year. It was wonderful to catch up with my ex-colleagues from Yahoo! and Cleartrip.
The most important event on the personal front was my brother's wedding. I'm very happy for him to have found his right partner for life. Spending a week in Chennai with the summer at its peak, the wedding ceremonies and most importantly, D's stranger anxiety with our other family members and relatives - challenging but memorable experiences.
With a 2 year old, we didn't travel much outside the city but we roamed a lot within the city. D loves outdoors and she made sure we go "tata" every other day - be it for ice creams, cakes or just grocery shopping. We took a short trip to Mysore in March which was D's first ever trip outside Bangalore. She was quite excited and loved the zoo. We took a "real" vacation in Orange County which was relaxing.
Reading took a big hit this year as well. I just managed to finish one book "Life is what you make it" by Preeti Shenoy. A good read. I started reading "Immortals of Meluha" but after pushing through 200 pages, I realized it's just dragging and I gave up. This year, I'm extremely serious about getting back to reading.
The other aspect that I need to pay more attention this year is towards my health. I have been falling sick more often than I usually am and on top of it, I have not been exercising as well. Though I'm conscious of what I eat, I need to incorporate exercise regimen somewhere into my daily schedule.
I'm starting 2014 with lots of hope and excitement. There are many new areas I want to explore, one of them being baking. My new microwave oven has arrived !!
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year. Don't think about resolutions but identify 2-3 themes of your life which deserve your attention and go for them!
I read this interesting quote somewhere - "We overestimate how much we can achieve in a day and underestimate how much we can achieve in a year". 2013 was a productive and most importantly, an emotionally peaceful year. It started off with completing the long pending tasks (ones that are important but not urgent) such as dental treatments, health checkups, passport renewal and getting a new passport for D.
D has grown quite fast, from crawling to walking to running. She speaks so much and sings a lot of nursery rhymes. She is no longer a small baby but an individual with her own interests and wishes that "must" be fulfilled at any cost. She is in that phase where if she doesn't get what she wants, she will throw a big tantrum. At the same time, she does so many cute things that can just melt us and cheer our hearts. It feels like living my childhood all over again with her.
She has started going to a play-school nearby. Though it took her a while to settle down, it is a major milestone for us as a family. She is picking up English words and can recognize alphabets, colors, vegetables and fruits.
On the professional front, I got back to working with an early stage startup focused on a domain close to my heart. Nutrition and healthy living led me towards HealthifyMe. I reached out to the founders and we worked out an option of me working from home. Talking about remote work, I have lots to write about, which I shall do in a separate blog post. It has a been an interesting comeback after a 2 year break, with lots of learnings and opportunities. I also managed to attend Nasscom Product Conclave this year. It was wonderful to catch up with my ex-colleagues from Yahoo! and Cleartrip.
The most important event on the personal front was my brother's wedding. I'm very happy for him to have found his right partner for life. Spending a week in Chennai with the summer at its peak, the wedding ceremonies and most importantly, D's stranger anxiety with our other family members and relatives - challenging but memorable experiences.
With a 2 year old, we didn't travel much outside the city but we roamed a lot within the city. D loves outdoors and she made sure we go "tata" every other day - be it for ice creams, cakes or just grocery shopping. We took a short trip to Mysore in March which was D's first ever trip outside Bangalore. She was quite excited and loved the zoo. We took a "real" vacation in Orange County which was relaxing.
Reading took a big hit this year as well. I just managed to finish one book "Life is what you make it" by Preeti Shenoy. A good read. I started reading "Immortals of Meluha" but after pushing through 200 pages, I realized it's just dragging and I gave up. This year, I'm extremely serious about getting back to reading.
The other aspect that I need to pay more attention this year is towards my health. I have been falling sick more often than I usually am and on top of it, I have not been exercising as well. Though I'm conscious of what I eat, I need to incorporate exercise regimen somewhere into my daily schedule.
I'm starting 2014 with lots of hope and excitement. There are many new areas I want to explore, one of them being baking. My new microwave oven has arrived !!
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year. Don't think about resolutions but identify 2-3 themes of your life which deserve your attention and go for them!
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