For good reason or bad, I become very reflective in December. I’ve had a lot of time to think about the year that has gone by. If I can think of two words for 2021, it has to be change and love.

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The big change was moving to Bangalore. This is the first time living away from home and it’s been exciting and overwhelming in equal parts. There have been moments when I’ve cried for no known reason. Maybe it was having to do my own dishes and paying for every single thing.

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More change followed. People at work left, my work changed and eventually I changed jobs. It’s still early days at the new job, so if anyone messages me asking how I’m liking the new company, don’t expect a reply!

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The little changes were just as noticeable, like not celebrating New Year’s Eve at J-1967 in CR Park and celebrating Christmas in summer clothes in Bangalore.

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But what made all the change easy was love. I made the journey from feeling worried that I don't have an ecosystem in Bangalore to feeling at home and having many homes in the city. This time, the tears were happy ones. I found love in unexpected places and from unexpected people - bosses, colleagues, neighbours, friends of friends, friends of family and of course, my own family.

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We welcomed a new addition to our family. A true pandemic baby, born to my sister and brother in law, Kabir brought a lot of entertainment to our lives. I'm grateful that even in a pandemic, I was able to hold him and kiss him. This Diwali, for the first time in a decade, the entire family was together. Some love was lost too. Shuffle passed away and it was heartbreaking to see my baby go.

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The inevitability of change is something I believe in so deeply that I had a Delta, the symbol for change in Physics, tattooed on my wrist when I was 18 years old. It has been a good reminder since.

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For 2022, the hope is to remain calm in the face of change, to embrace the uncertainty and as a good friend says very often, to “trust the process.”