Highlights of 2015

 

Last selfie of 2015

Hey guys!

I think you all have earned the right to peer into the best moments of my life this year, both the intimate and the not-so intimate ones. I’m going to start off with this summer. My summer was definitely very emotional- I went back to India to visit my family and friends.

A jolt of electricity went up my body as I spotted and waved at my beautiful mother, and handsome father and brother standing by the arrival section at the Calcutta airport. Sometimes you don’t realise how overwhelming it can be to run into important people you haven’t met in a long time. It was only in that moment, at the airport, that I realized what a “softie” I was at heart. No matter how much I try to say that emotions don’t run my life, it’s untrue. I’m emotional, I’m protective, and I’m a sucker for love.

Summer of 2015!

All this reminds me of the night of October 31st. Halloween was magical for me. Before I get into that you should know that I’m over-the-top with my words. I’m very enthusiastic about events, and believe them to be positives. Therefore, the word “magical” has been used. It’s not a fairytale- not even close to a fairytale ending, but nevertheless it was MY night.

A black dress clapsed my body as my friends helped me draw on my whiskers on my cheeks. You guessed it right- I was a generic cat! 🙂 My friends and I headed to the street where the Halloween parade would take place in Manhattan. After waiting for hours, and striking up conversations with the world’s largest human pizza and batman, we headed to a bar. As three young girls dressed up and having a nice time, we received all the attention. I have to say, it felt really good! At about midnight, we headed to a house party in Brooklyn. I happened to meet a guy at the party whom I really hit it off with. Today, I do not remember his name nor do I have his phone number. And, truth be told, I’m glad!

I feel like everyone deserves to have one mysterious night with a stranger. Just two people connecting over wine and the high of the night. It’s where you can be yourself and say whatever you like because you know you’re not being judged –  all your secrets are safe with the stranger!

Halloween night.

On the contrary, sometimes strangers grow to be the closest friends you’ve ever had. I happened to meet one of my best friends by accident at university. I was a part of the Orientation for the new international students, and I got put into the same group as her. We bonded over our lack of knowledge of campus whereabouts, and today she’s the closest friend I have. I’m not going to name her because I don’t know if she’d be okay with it, but yeah I could not imagine what this year would have been without her. Another friend of mine, whom I am very close to today, also happened to meet me by accident. I’m sensing a pattern here, LOL. If you want to be best friends with me just bump into me at an odd time, haha. Anyway, let me not side track. So I met, let’s call him “Evan”, at orientation two years ago. He was already a sophomore by then but he had to come for the meeting as he had missed out on his one freshman year. Today, I could not imagine a day in college without him. He taught me how to embrace my “immature, boyish” side by teaching me how to play video games, and he also taught me how to dodge casual flirts by guys I wasn’t interested in.

So, all in all, it has been a fabulous year for me. And while I’m hesitant of not wanting to let go of all I have, I’m equally excited to see what the next year has in store for me. Cheers to 2015, it has been a hell of a ride!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Life

I’m not really a creative, poetic person; but I thought I’d give this a try. I was feeling a little low yesterday and I spilled my emotions on a piece of paper resulting in a dark, yet true, story. 

“Grief is in two parts; the first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.” – Anne Roiphe

Anger flashes in his eyes

Wearing black shadowy webs

He shouts, “How dare you leave me!”

His little brother watches from above,

Wishing it had not come to this.

Fate isn’t something you can mess with,

It isn’t something you can change.

Pain latches onto his mind

He sees the skies of his future darken

He can’t take this anymore.

He stands there brother less

Staring at the pale corpse.

The world is a labyrinth

Where he has lost his way.

But, one day he will wake up in the morning

And see the shining light

That will hold his hand

And help him travel

Through the wonderful journey

Of life.

~ Shreya, August 18, 2015.

Head VS Heart: The Inner Battle

Decisions are something we all have to make on our own, at some point in our lives. But the question is, do we decide with our heart or with our mind?

Our heart is an authentic faction that shows us who we are on the inside, what we really feel, and what we really desire. Our mind, on the other hand, is a logical and reasonable tool that helps us see the world in black and white. Some people might think that their emotions make them a monster; restrain them from doing the right thing; they make biased decisions. But, I don’t think that is true. Speaking solely for myself, my heart plays a huge role in decision-making.

I am always wrapped in my emotions. If I didn’t make decisions with my heart, I wouldn’t be staying in New York today; I wouldn’t be studying Psychology in college; and most importantly, I wouldn’t be living my dream. As the Fox in The Little Prince said, “ It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, what’s essential is invisible to the eyes.” If we never consider what makes us happy, we will end up living a depressed and unfulfilled life.

For others, the mind might be the driving force in making choices. It is without doubt that if we don’t think and plan before we make decisions, we are most likely to end up in a fix. Therefore, the two factions should work together in solving the problem. When we’re at the crossroads of having to choose between the heart and the mind, we should eliminate the fork in the road by merging the path. Like Nelson Mandela once said, “ A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”

Smiles,

Shreya

Risky

Leave the labels for Clothes, NOT People! ❤︎

Break out of Stigma

Society has changed vastly in the past decade. A country has a black president, gay marriage is legal in certain places, and transgendered people are not looked down on. While these huge issues have found clarity, the everyday problems in society are still left hazy.

“Harmony isn’t created when everyone sings the same note.” We are asked to be unique and different in this world. But, they fail to show the irony of this situation ~ we’re supposed to be ourselves in a world where everyone seems to be a clone of the other! Before we can spread our wings and fly, we have to acknowledge that we’re chained to the ground. We have to uncuff ourselves first.

Today, if we wear short clothes, we’re too graphic and bold, if we don’t, we’re prudes. If we like to read, we’re nerds, if we don’t, we’re dumb. If we have “boy friends” we’re sluts, if we don’t, we’re sexist. If we wear make-up, we’re pretentious, and if we don’t, we’re ugly. If we smoke and drink, we’re addicts, and if we don’t, we’re plain losers (peer pressure). So trust me, in this world no matter what we do, we can never win. Forget about what others will think, because we can’t ever please everyone!

All I can say is; don’t shy away from individuality. Don’t conform, but don’t rebel either. There’s no point. We should just pave our own paths and walk on them with pride.

Leave all the labels for the clothes and shoes, spare the people because “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

– S

PS: Here’s a picture of me to show you that every teenager makes it through the constant judgement. Just be carefree.

Smile like me. Be carefree and happy.