happiness and food

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We are now officially in the second half of the year. Some days it feels that the days are blurring. Being at home and working from home has its own pluses and minuses. And it is a different feeling. The last time I was home this much, I was preparing for the IITs in 2000.

I don’t miss the traffic but I miss the humdrum of running to the office. The morning chaos, the minute by minute details I had to manage and then the quiet till I reached office. I miss meeting people I used to closely work with and those I used to travel with. Life just feels so different.

One thing that I have tried to stay true to is being grateful with what I have. It has kept me positive on the days I wasn’t and hopeful on the days I was anxious. With rains in Bangalore, I feel kindness around and that weather Gods too want us to not feel the heat. Know what I mean?

I have a few things on my happiness list and here they are:

♥ The rains are the best at this time of the year in Bangalore. The cloudy skies, the dip in temperature and the on and off showers have made me smile on most days. I am grateful that I call Bangalore my home.

♥ Workouts, walks and steps kept me going through June. Since the time we have been working from home, working out regularly has been my everyday thing. Almost everyday. In June, I worked out on 25 days and VT and I also managed after dinner walks. I understand my body better now and the days I work out, I feel calmer. The one hour in the morning, sets the tone for the rest of my day. I am grateful to Cult Live videos – they have made the experience like that of attending a class. Did I tell you I love doing 21/54 rounds of Surya Namaskars? Yoga has been my all time favorite workout.

♥ I tried to volunteer online and found a new open source – Map It. Using this one, I have been able to map roads on some areas around the world that could benefit from having accurate geographical tags and maps. Some of these areas have been hit by natural disasters like floods and hence mapping these areas supports the initiatives driven by non profits.

♥ My night ritual continues to be reading. I read The Help by Kathryn Socket and Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris and I recommend both. My blogger friends recommend some really good ones and I make sure to add to my TBR and read from there. I am grateful for my Kindle. I switched to e-reading since I had no space for books in my house so having a Kindle is a blessing.

♥ This month delighted me for food surprises. It started with RM who sent a delicious Maharashtrian lunch on Sunday and again for a work offsite, the team received food and desserts. Thank you, RM for your kindness. Later in the month, I got cup cakes and cookies from my leaders and that was cherry on the cake. We visited our friends one Sunday and her MIL served us delicious sambhar chawal and fried fish. Coming to think of it, nothing makes me more happy than good food.

♥ I am a morning person. I love the quiet, my workout time and watching the world get up to start their day. Most mornings, VT gets up before me, makes the morning chai and that adds a bit more calm to my morning. I am grateful for mornings after a good sleep and that cuppa I don’t make.

♥ VT and I watched a few shows/movies and not everything was good. Some were a drag and we either skipped or tolerated. But if I had to recommend, I would say The Report (movie) and Aarya (series on Amazom Prime). At these times, when we cannot be out socializing TV shows/movies have been a good weekend past time.

♥ I am grateful for my job and the work I do. Even on the days when the days are long, I have a sense of fulfillment. My job gives me a lot of belief and purpose. My organization also cares and appreciates and that matters to me. Now that I know I will be working from home for the rest of the year, I have got into a rhythm and routine that I want to stick to.

♥ People matter and loved ones even more. Now that we are inching closer to moving into our own place, our parents and friends have been a constant support. Whether it’s advise or suggestion, my folks have been by our side. I am grateful for all the connections we have made in life and I hope nothing but the best for them.

I will be honest. On some days, I am anxious and worried. The virus situation doesn’t seem to be improving. The change in scene has also brought lesser interaction with folks at work. I miss friends and peers who were my source of energy and inspiration. But I understand that it is up to us to work on relationships at these times.

July will bring us some packing, planning and organizing for the move. Blogging got slow in June so I want to work on that too. My work days are long and I am learning to call it a day at a good time. If I can manage that, I will be able to add some writing to my schedule.

I hope you are all taking care of yourselves. Please stay safe and take all precautions. Here’s wishing you a happy July!

In the comments, do let me know a bit about your June and what are you grateful for?

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Linking up with Vidya’s gratitude circle for the month of June.