One Year Later...

It has been a year today. Not for my joining date at work, that’s in another two days. Not for this blog, god that was in March, please follow on facebook for regular updates. No, it has been a year since I left home to earn on my own and ‘become independent’.

It is exactly one year today since I took that flight out of Lucknow to Hyderabad which has somehow landed me in Chennai. One year ago I took this picture of my mom before boarding the plane where she is probably reminding me to check that I have everything I need.

I have met my mother in the past year, yes plenty of times. It is just that every time it has been a newer version of me that went back home for the weekend/ holiday/whatever reason.

Everyone used to say (and continues to do so) that you will learn and understand the reality of life once you live alone outside the comfort of home. I had always thought that happened for me when I left for college in 2010. But I was wrong; and how. For me college was not even a teaser trailer compared to what I have seen, felt and experienced in the past year. What those ‘everyone’ should have said was when you leave to earn, then you get to see the real face of life and other similar things.

Somehow in the last year I have felt nearly all the emotions that a 22 year old should feel; from joy to sadness, friendships to fall out, fondness for someone to… well basically everything. I have realised that all emotional quotients in movies always take inspiration from real life.

And people. I have met a lot of people, from the length and breadth of our great country, became friends with some, acquaintance with others but I am sure no enemies (I seem to be incapable of making enemies. Touch wood!). Some of the aforementioned people made me realize how irreplaceable college and school friends are. I even saw some glimpses of human nature which I had only seen in Television and movies. I feel I have become a lesser trusting person than I was when I got on the plane last year. But then some of these lessons I had already had in college so they were more like remedial lessons.

A few of the people I met. Training Batch, Cognizant, Hyderabad.

I have now been travelling the whole of east coast of India. Past year added Hyderabad to the list. It became one city which I fell in love with. It has also added Chennai about which the less I talk, the better.

Scrolling up on this post, it all sounds quite dramatic but the year was such for me. A roller coaster ride in the real sense, still I don’t want to say I am settled or feel that anything has settled down for that matter because that would calm my mind and I plan to take a lot on my plate soon. I have not been to Allahabad since and I wish to be there again someday not for just a weekend but maybe an extended holiday. The year deserved special mention because it brought a lot of new experiences for me. It has made me a more cognizant person; hopefully it has made me a better person too.

Do share your experiences when you moved out and/or how the past year was for you in the comments below.

Feedback Appreciated.

India lost one of its most precious gems two days back. I, like the rest of India, bow my head and salute the life of Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. R.I.P Sir. You will always be an inspiration.