Monday, September 7, 2015

S turns 27 *zen*

I have not written here in so long that now I can’t find words to string together and make sense. The only ritual I have followed religiously on this blog for the last few years is Birthday posts. So here I am writing about my 27th birthday. From as long ago as I can remember, I always wanted to turn 27. I thought I would be a strong, mature, independent woman by then. I think in teenage years, 27 felt very far away. And now I am just a stone’s throw away from the big O. Life here on is going to change rapidly.

I took a short weekend trip to Pondicherry after my birthday. To feel and hold my life in this moment, before my cynical grown-up self catches up with my naïve, carefree self. It was another solo travel – my first in India – after the ones in Europe and China.
At Promenade beach in Pondicherry (technically it is not a beach, don't know why they call it a beach)
In last one year, I have traveled to 6 countries. And sometimes I can’t believe I am that person who has traveled so much, absorbed so much, all on her own. I am not a typical adventurous person. People who know me from before consider me to be a shy person who lives in her own world. To step out of that comfort zone and travel, make friends and family out of strangers, is nothing less than a miracle. I surprise myself.

And that is what the year of 27 has been about. Surprising myself. I have learnt that magic does not need tricks. Sometimes it catches you off-guard, and sometimes you can make it happen.

Growing up, people tell you about letting go and moving on. They tend to imply that you must forget everything that pulls you down and start anew. But from my experience I have come to believe that you don’t have to let go to move on. All my past experiences make me who I am. If something pulls me down, I like to sit down with it, immerse myself in that void, test my tensile strength and then spring back. I don’t want to let go. I want to frame it and hang it on the wall. It is a piece of me. I just have to accept it as a part of myself and live. Not let go. But fuse it within.

I realized that so many of my blog-friends, almost all of them, who were there with me when I had just started out, don’t write anymore. I went to the blogs of some of them last week, and the last blog entries from years ago made me sad. We started out when Social Media was not as we know it today - there was no Facebook, Twitter or Instagram - Blogging was more fun then. I feel old now. Haha.

Cheers to more writing, more travel and more stories.

Love,
S

Edited to add: I forgot to mention what I did on my birthday. I had a great time with the people I love :) Cut three wonderful cakes - one that my mom got, one that my colleagues got and one that my friends got. I also got a Kindle and my first diamond as birthday gifts (haha ;) notice how I call it the 'first' diamond hehe. Many more to be bought later). So a happy birthday was had.

For previous posts in Birthday series -
When S turned 23
When S turned 24
When S turned 25
When S turned 26

22 comments:

  1. And you didn't tell me today?! But then, I figured I should be discreet. Happy birthday S, may you have more Zen moments. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arey my birthday was a week ago.

      Thank you for your wishes, Hyde :)

      Delete
  2. Happy birthday S.. Love to read your stories and travel tales..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!

      I am glad at least someone is reading. Hehe :D

      Delete
  3. Happy Birthday S :), Hope you had a great ME time at the sea shore :).

    As you have mentioned, sometimes magic does not need any tricks and that is what we call miracle :)
    Your words as always make my mind meander into new dimensions especially the "letting go and moving on" part and yes sometimes you confuse me with such things ;)

    Have a great time ahead and may you get to see many miracles in life :)
    Happy Writing !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey you! Long time, huh. You are one of those bloggers who has stopped writing! :-/

      Thank you for your wishes. Cheers to more confusing and meandering posts! :)

      Delete
  4. Many many belated happy returns, Inspirational Person :) here's to many many more years of doing EXACTLY what you want to be doing.

    I know what you're saying about your blogger friends not blogging anymore :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey! Thank you!

      Yours is one blog I enjoy reading. You got that email I sent you?

      Delete
  5. Happy birthday S! :)
    Here's to loads of travel, memories, lots of new adventures and everything else that makes you happy! :)
    I completely get your point about bloggers. I almost feel like my blog is a testimony to how we are growing old. And the more people stop blogging, the older I feel!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Preeti! You were Preeks, nah? in the good old days..

      You are one person that I am always excited to read :) Want more!

      Thank you for the wishes :)

      Delete
  6. Happy belated birthday. Have a great year ahead. You are right, the blogging was much fun before. I don't see many who were regular bloggers earlier. blogging now a days.

    Hope you write and share more this year. Congrats on new Kindle ( which was the first book you downloaded )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey! Thank you :)

      I also hope I write more :) I have not bought a book on Kindle yet, downloaded some free books :P First one was Alice in Wonderland.

      Delete
  7. Wish you a super duper pappy birthday and a 27th year S!!

    Keep blogging and hope you get to see a lot more of this world!

    - Moo. Not able to comment using my account. Im hoping the anonymous options works.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wrong math. Correct that to - a super duper 28th year. 27th year was the year that just went by right?

      Delete
  8. Err, not pappy, happy...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Belated b'day wishes!! Yeah I remember the good ol days when we didn't have to plug the blog links across facebook or twitter. . The comments were our only mode of communication. And yes even am guilty of not posting anything for over an year. .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Rohan :) I hopped on to your blog just now and saw your last post from almost a year ago! Get back to blogging!

      Delete
  10. Happy Birthday. And thanks for inspiring me to come back to the blogging world!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Merlin! Good to see you back :) Thanks for the wishes, and all the times that you have inspired me.

      Delete
  11. I know the feeling! I have been stalking few bloggers and it's sad to know they don't write anymore. I also noticed how your posts have been getting scarce over the period of time. I hope you won't stop blogging. We tend to grow up (and be cynical like you said), get apprehensive about the younger self of us, sometimes become conscious of how people might perceive us and eventually stop writing. I have seen lots of people who eagerly started their blogs and got bored. I hope you will continue! Happy belated birthday.

    P.S I am kinda curious about how you traveled to so many countries! Please do write about it sometime :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Zappylily! I hope I continue writing too! :)

      About my travel tales, I have written about them briefly on this blog. Apart from that, I have a separate travel blog called www.storiesonthemap.com. Hope you enjoy reading :)

      Delete

I love hand-written notes :)