I took a yearlong break at college last year, to which my logical brain ridiculed me but the emotional one was in full support. Voicing my thoughts at home was never an issue, but the idea of wasting a year seemed dreadful and I wondered how my parents are ever going to listen to something crazy like this. Having already ‘wasted’ a few years before, I wondered if it was a great idea to go ahead with the thought even in my mind, but I just had to do it. With my head hung low, I went to my father to tell him of the violent riot of thoughts going on in my mind whether to take a break or not. He simply smiled at me and said that if that makes me happy I should do it as soon as possible! I was rather surprised at his calm response and thought he was joking.

Convincing my parents was not a big deal at all. They were in full support of taking a year drop and let me discover what I really wanted to do with life. I told them I do not want to continue college, when I was not enjoying what I was doing and if I may, I want to drift away from all this routine. Wake up every morning and live the day as if it was an adventure! Not knowing what was in store for me for that day! Frankly I did not decide on to what I would be doing in that year, and the years following that one, but all I knew was this year was essential to be kept for myself and no one else to decide what I would be doing.

The bold statements and ideas kept nudging time and again until it was the time to inform in my college that I would not be attending henceforth. My legs went limp and I was having a queer feeling in my stomach by just the thought of facing my class teachers. How would they react for not attending college for no strong reason? Giving time for oneself is often misinterpreted as wasting time. How do I tell them I really want to explore myself and my likings? I avoided the D-day for almost a month, and finally decided to go to college and finish it once and for all. To my surprise again, my teachers did not say a single dialogue I had written for them in my mind. They simply supported my decision and said I could talk to them if in case I needed help. I was glad they understood me better than what I understood them. And hence the journey into my own world began.

An event shook my world and turned it upside down, when my pet dog was diagnosed with cancer. I was still getting over the demise of my best friend. The year certainly was going to be challenging to be walking all by myself. I cut all probable contacts with anything related to college. I woke up the following few days feeling strange for not having anything to do the whole day. One day I sat up and made an exhaustive list of things I could do in the year ahead. Very first was to learn fine arts, painting sketching and unlearn many things. Read lots and lots of books. Travel, learn cooking, attend workshops and seminars, write short stories, learn photography, watch as many movies as possible, learn meditation at different places. Jagriti Yatra was something I was dearly looking forward to, but it was a few months away when my new daily routine began.

Get up, be amazing, go back to sleep.

I travelled up North, into the Himalayas to learn meditation at Patal Bhuvaneshvar caves. Spirituality was introduced in my life and I welcomed it with open arms. I joined a yearlong course, of a weekend in every two months, where I would go to an Ashram situated in the hills of Karjat and recharge my spirit. The next was a trip down South to Thiruvannamali to walk 14km barefoot on a full moon night around a mountain. I started to develop an interest in alternative healing methods. Few experiences at hand and a few good reads after coming back home, increased the interest with a scientific background and support. I started developing interesting in knowing more about human brain and its functioning. Read and watched videos about how metaphysical healing happens, and what the causes of certain health issues are.

Meanwhile, back home I joined an art class where I learnt and unlearnt many things. Few of my rigid thoughts softened with the new learnt pencil strokes. I also started learning clay modelling and loved playing in the clay with the new friends at class. I began to create a portfolio, in case I want to apply for any design course. My aimless mind had started figuring out new directions and possibilities.

Once in a while I would cook a meal or two, and try out something new. From recently watched cookery show to a recipe from a cookbook. I also started taking lessons on Digital Marketing from an expert,

Shantanu Ghosh. I attended webinars, and started working part time in the social media marketing sector. I also attended leadership and management workshops and seminars. Starting a venture with the partnership with Mr. Ghosh, was in line, but that didn’t quite happen at that moment. It was kept for the following year, and till then I decided to learn and grasp as much as possible!

I read and tried to understand more laterally about the importance of brain development in children. Hence, books on early brain development and parenting occupied my bookshelf. Once in a while novels were read too, but the informative books quenched my thirsty mind.

Each day I would meditate and still continue doing so. I believe it had helped me balance myself and my life slowly and steadily. People who knew me a year back probably would find it difficult to relate with me today. I can feel that I have turned out to be a different person altogether and my thinking has become clearer in the process. Being on Jagriti Yatra enriched my experiences and took me to a greater level. I can befriend anyone and everyone around the world, and can relate to them on a different level if our wavelengths would match. I can proudly say that, today I have friends from all over the country and can expect help if asked for. Widening horizons is far more important that feeling cozy in your comfort zone.

I wanted to travel alone to United Kingdom to visit my friend. Main motive was to spend some time alone in a different place altogether. But my parents wanted to know what I want to do for the years to come, my education and career. Having given a serious thought to pursue Bachelor in Arts, and my parents had agreed with it. But somehow it did not seem right, my intuition pointed somewhere else. I had to tell me decision before I could even discuss about this trip to UK. Having learnt over the year how intuition leads to the right path, I knew it was the right thing to do. I was going to get back to college and start afresh!

After having made up my mind to get back to college and mainstream, I set out for my first lone-travelling adventure; a trip to United Kingdom. To walk on the streets of Scotland Yard, and experience the game live was like a dream come true. The experience of standing before the famous structures that were studied in history books was simply out of this world. Being at my childhood friend’s place was a fun filled vacation spent before resuming the college routine.

But above all, the sudden demise of my mentor, Shantanu Ghosh, and my beloved pet taught me yet another lesson, that nothing in life is permanent. We cannot hold on to things and people forever. We got to live with them, and let go when it is time to move on. So live each day, and each moment to the fullest. And follow only one daily routine: get up, be amazing, and go back to sleep!