Half Year, Already?! #ZombieBlogHop
Six months into 2019 and I can’t believe that it’s half year already! Wasn’t it just like yesterday we started 2019? I think 2019 is flying by too fast. Way. Too. Fast! I am not complaining though! These last six months have been a mixed bag for me, like how it always is, for everyone! But I am going to focus only on the positives. By the way , Focus is my WOTY for 2019! So, here I am sharing some highlights for every month of 2019.
January
Over the years, my interest in exploring and adding spiritual dimension in my daily life has increased. I practice Reiki and Vipassana – Meditation which help me to quieten my mind and calm my senses. And earlier this year, Chicky Kadambari introduced me to Buddhism. During one of our conversations, she shared how Buddhism is changing and shaping her attitudes towards life and that really piqued my interest. Thanks to her, I started reading and practicing the principles of Buddhism which resonate with my heart and feeds my soul. I am experiencing the connection and the vibrations that are subtle but becoming more and more clear. My experience with Buddhism is a mere shallow dive into the waters, but I am glad that I took this dive.
February
Reading has always been a huge part of my life. And in the last few years, the desire to read more and more has intensified and that’s the reason I have been taking up so many reading challenges. I read a record number of 11 books in February even though it is the shortest month. I read This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn among others. Reading is food for the soul and my soul did a happy dance this February.
March
I am a big sucker for meaningful movies and web-series. This March, I binge watched the shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Reasons? I had some free time and the knowledge that my days of ‘extended me-time’ are numbered as Aaryan was coming back from his Boarding School in April. Yeah, I am such a bad mom! (He completed his schooling this April and is now ready to enter the new phase of College life.) Also I cannot watch the programs on Netflix with him. Read about it here. So, I watched all the episodes of Made in Heaven and Delhi Crime at one go. I also watched some wonderful movies like What Will People say, Andhadun, Manto, Love & Shukla, Evening Shadowsm Once Again, Soni, Qarib Qarib Singlle etc.
April
April is synonymous with Ato Z Challenge and it was my 7th consecutive year of participating in this mega everyday (nearly) blogging challenge. This year, my theme was ‘All About Food’ and think I came up with some good posts. LOL How pompous that sounds!!
May
May was busy with work travel. I travelled for nearly 20 days this month and loved every moment of it. As part of work, I did white water rafting on the Ganges thrice. During one of the rafting expeditions, when I was in midst of a Grade 5 rapid, I experienced that exhilarating feeling and there was this sudden realization that I TRULY love water and adventure sports. It was such an Aha! moment!
June
June has so far been a good month. Touch wood! Aaryan’s class 12th results has been good and he has been selected in a course and college of his choice, so we all are in a happy and relaxed state of mind. Aaryan and I are spending a lot of time chatting, listening to music and watching re-runs of FRIENDS, The Big Bang Theory, Everybody Loves Raymond etc. We have been cooking together and he’s helping me in other household chores too. KG and my sisters believe that I am domesticating him. But I believe these are basic skills that will help him in the long run.
We are six months into the year, and it’s been a good year so far, but I am hoping to finish the last six months off STRONG!
How have been the first six months of 2019 for you. Do share in the comments below.
I received this tag from Holly and I am passing this on to Aesha
24 bloggers have got together to celebrate six months of 2019 from June 17-19. In their own unique ways, they will share what the last six months mean to them. In these 24 posts, you will find a lot of joy and hope. Not to forget, some humor and stories too. So don’t forget to read these all and share some love.
June 17, 2019 11:59 am|
What an amazing woman you are, Shilpa. How do you manage to pack in so much, so effortlessly.
Glad that you’ve got into meditation and that it works for you.
Congrats to A. Good luck with his future plans. It’s important that boys too learn to fend for themselves!
June 17, 2019 1:59 pm|
Incredible it sounds. Your interests are varied & you have packed so much into last 6 months. Inspiring you are.
And you get to do rafting during work. Awesome Shilpa.
June 17, 2019 3:03 pm|
wow! what kind of a job involves white water rafting? I’d never do it even for a bonus. you’ve got guts girl. Glad your half year has been busy. No wonder it’s gone by in a whiz. My six months have been a mixed bag of the good and the bad ( as I suppose it is for everybody). But unlike you, my brood is ready to partially fly the nest and the little ones go to regular school from July. So once again my me time will be mine.
June 17, 2019 7:20 pm|
That’s true, six months have already gone by. Time flies!! Ha…
These last months were packed with many new things on my front. We moved into a new house, my daughter entered middle school. She got President’s award in 5th Grade. I had tears in my eyes. My little girl is a middle schooler now. My son celebrated his 3rd bday having a Firetruck theme:-). And more importantly, my parents sis and niece r visiting us.
I am getting more active on my Podcast and truly loving it. Started to work on my second book. Hopiny to finish it soon.
June 17, 2019 8:01 pm|
Hey, great to hear that you took to Buddhism. I have been practicing Buddhism since quite some time and it keeps me grounded, focused and calm. You seem to have had a wonderful 2019 so far. Hope you have an equally good time in the following six months.
June 17, 2019 8:05 pm|
I’m just SO jealous. This year has flown by and i’d be hard pressed to remember what I’ve done this month, let alone each individual month since Jan! Kudos 🙂
June 17, 2019 10:56 pm|
Wow! Very impressive, Shilpa! I think I know a few things about you through your blog’s but this one was a great 6 months’ recap. 11 books in February? Amazing!
I love that you keep yourself busy with things you like to do. That’s important for each one of us. Glad you joined this blog hop.
June 18, 2019 11:53 am|
Wow, sounds like a superb year so far! And 11 books in February? That’s just amazing.
June 18, 2019 12:12 pm|
Wow shilpa..so much in so short a time. Watching friends’ reruns is a passtime at my home too. I have lot of reading to catch up on.. congrats to Aaryan
June 18, 2019 10:36 pm|
Practicing Vipassana, helped me too, Shilpa. I got more clarity of the circumstances and courage to make difficult decisions. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
June 18, 2019 2:30 pm|
Girl, you have packed so much in this half of the year. I am so happy for you. And a little envious. River rafting as part of your job!!!!! Wow and double wow! The most adventurous thing I did in the last few months was sign up for a theatre course.
June 22, 2019 11:56 pm|
That were some amazing months! Great to know that you found your way in spirituality and is helping you.
June 18, 2019 2:48 pm|
Glad to know that you had a great 2019 uptil now. Mine was just okay, nothing much to boast about-Muffy, books and Netflix 🙂
June 18, 2019 11:28 pm|
Wow, that sounds amazing. Read, write, travel – you’ve done it all. Hope the rest of the year is amazing for you too.
June 19, 2019 9:23 am|
You have had such an amazing six months. I loved reading your post. It exudes positive energies. My friend also follows Buddhism and she frequently mentions the radiance it bought to her life. Also, you are a star, you read 11 books in one month. That is so great. I am motivated to read more now. I am also watching Friends on Netflix. I love to binge watch too. Maybe that is why reading also took a backseat for me because that is what I was doing.
I am glad I joined in the blog hop. It has been fun. Also, best wishes to your son for college.
June 19, 2019 3:08 pm|
The best thing I read here was that your little boy is helping you in the kitchen. My SIL and I too encourage our 10yo nephew who has learned to cook and clean. These are really basic necessities and if boys are taught early to cook and clean they need not depend on anyone when they grow up and start living independently.
June 19, 2019 4:34 pm|
From the glimpse of it, your first 6 months look great. In totality, it always is a mixed bag with a little of downers thrown into the pool with the ups. I have a perpetual admiration for you because of your reading and baking and today a new point gets added for your effort in teaching your son cooking. You are not domesticating him though I do not see any harm in it, you are equipping him with a life skill. Kudos to you.
June 19, 2019 5:20 pm|
Hi Shilpa,
You’ve been having a fruitful year! Yay for all the reading and binge-watching! I have to say that I miss your awesome 55-worders.
June 19, 2019 5:48 pm|
Wow, what a well done recap!
Buddhism is something I’m really fascinated with and maybe it is time I look deep into it. Might help me calm down much better.
Wishing you an awesome rest of the year, Shilpa.
June 20, 2019 10:47 am|
Wow, Shilpa! Impressive. So many things in these six months! You are rocking 2019 you know that? <3
June 20, 2019 3:14 pm|
11 books in 28 days and white water rafting made my jaws dropped, Shilpa! You are simply amazing.
Congratulations to your son and wishing him great success in life ahead.
And wishing you a peaceful, progressive and powerful year ahead.
June 20, 2019 4:08 pm|
First up – you’re not pompous – your A to Z posts were really good.
Second – You’re not a bad mom either – I don’t think there’s any mom who hasn’t at some point wished the kids left her alone.
Congratulations on Aaryan’s move to college – so happy he could get what he wanted, As for him helping you out in the kitchen I think that’s just wonderful. If I remember correctly he always liked to cook, right?
June 21, 2019 2:34 am|
11 books in a single month is great. Iam not a water person but happy to know that you enjoyed white water rafting. Grade 5 is advanced? I want to binge watch Netflix but not getting time.
June 25, 2019 8:01 pm|
My word of the year is also Focus. I have achieved a little and am planning to get some more this year.
I went to Rishikesh this month but had to skip the river rafting since my kids are small for it. Hoping to enjoy it sometime in future.
July 2, 2019 11:08 am|
Wow! Loved your recap post, Shilpa! Now, after reading all that has kept you busy over the last six months, I feel so inspired to keep a track of where my time is going although I’m not sure for how long I’ll be able to do it. 11 books in a month?!!! ( I would shout from the rooftops if I were you) All in all, a very productive and fulfilling 6 months in many ways! You must be one happy bunny. 🙂