Life in 2020

 

As we are approaching year end of 2020, I am sitting on my couch, facing the balcony looking at green grass outside and contemplating the year gone by. What matters most in this life is relationship with your own self, your mind, your body and your soul. Definitely 2020 brought challenges in everyone’s life. But how much prepared were we, mentally and physically to be resilient and sustain ourselves with least support from outside world.

Economy is tumbling down, many of are losing jobs, facing difficult situations to deal with every day. In this harsh reality we realized what is essential to survive and what is just additional baggage we carry to project our image in the society.

This is true time to implore and develop a strong bond with oneself. No distraction of parties, social gatherings, travel vacations. This least interaction with other humans while maintaining social and physical distancing made us to think differently, look around us differently and act upon it.

So how did I do in last eight months? Or rather what did I do to keep myself occupied in constructing way while sustaining myself in the job as well?

Snippets from my life in 2020 goes here-

In months of March and April, It felt like I got so much time at my leisure. Gyms were not open where I used to go after office, weather was still cold outside, hence came the idea of honing my culinary skills. This picture contains some of the cuisines which came out well; varying from Vietnamese spring rolls, pasta, baked veggies with grilled cheese and chimichurri sauce, honey chilly potato, momos, beetroot tikki, kachori, gajar ka halwa, daal batti, nariyal laddo, munchurian with fried rice and bread pakoras. Numerous other dishes could not be clicked but were directly gulped down the throat resting in my tummy for a while.

Wondering upon the calories intake? Who cares when taste buds are dancing at the highest level of foodgasm.

Slowly came the realization when my clothes wept on verge of tear down, tucking in the additional flabs.  Time came when weather showered some mercy by getting warmer everyday. Had to earn those calories by burning all I had consumed additionally on pretext of honing cooking skills.

Next came mission fitness, diet control and exercise regime. I started with detoxification diet of 12 days consuming only veggies and fruits; no grains, no oils, no milk. This was my first attempt, history continues to gnaw at me when I could not even tackle with single fasting day. This was 12 days straight in a row commitment. I did it :)

Other aspect is my love for nature. Lord, thanks for bestowing such natural beauty in my surrounding. I love living in suburbs full of lakes and nature trails. USA has its beauty in landscapes, several metro, state and national parks. I had started year 2020 with winter hikes during snow season. Had registered with a hiking meet up group and enjoyed my Sundays with group of people coming from different cultural background, profession and age group ranging from 30's to 60's with single motto to get outside and get body moving. Then came March when USA was hit with major covid cases, due to which all such activity stopped. 

But my sprits did not die, neither did my love for nature. On the right comes the collage from some of my solo hikes or hiking with few friends maintaining distance.

This pandemic took jobs of many trainers as gyms were closed. My favorite trainer took initiative to organize live streaming workout sessions at minimal fees from his garage. Many of us attended his sessions from home, sweating and feeling energized. We heartedly donated whatever we could helping him to start his own fitness business by renting a space.

What else occupied my time in this self isolation period, living away from family and having zero get togethers?

Life finds its way and so did I. There was a time during my masters when I inculcated habit of reading but left thereafter. 2020 was the reason to start it over. I picked up the famous book I had read decades ago, 'The Alchemist'. Then this trend continued for a while where I could read some fictional, biography and non fictional self help books. Overall I could read 13 books in past few months. 

Thanks to all those book worms in my contact list who could suggest some of the books they read and inspired me to pick few. I too passed on the courteous gestures to others in my list. So much so that I pestered my sister constantly to buy this book "Never Split the Difference" which talks about negotiating skills in every field of life. At end she did buy, its lying at her bedside table with dog's tail after few chapters.

Last but not the least, I love art and craft as well. There would come numerous notifications on my you tube subscription showing some or other art work videos. Thanks to all the artist around the world who paint and upload such tutorials on the web. I picked up water color painting, sketching and acrylic pouring canvas painting this time. Enjoyed some of free FB live events where group of people would paint same thing and instructor would talk through demonstrating each step while soothing music plays in the background:). Indeed calming effect!

Forgot to mention, apart from all the good things shown here, I had been couch potato on several days, binge watching numerous web series and movies on online live streaming platforms.

Eagerly waiting for vaccine to reach us and bring end to this pandemic. Hopefully I would  still nurture this bond with oneself while going back to normal life! Till then cheers!