2017 - Thank You - Part 1

Thank you, everyone, who sent in their beautiful year reviews. I say it every year but it really means a lot to me. It's only because of you, this tradition of mine has continued into the eighth year. Every year, the post name contains a phrase that's been important to me that year. As this year ends, I feel a wave of gratitude sweeping over me. I can't thank enough my parents, my friends, my university and this city.

In the last year's review, I had expressed optimism that this would be a great year and had a few wishes, primarily of becoming a better engineer. It gives me immense satisfaction that I scored on both the points. 2017 was one of the best years in the last few years.

There's so much to remember about this year - the hard-work at Columbia, the night-outs in Butler Library, the memories made in New York, travels to California and Philadelphia, the infinitely stressful job-hunting phase in the last semester - this is a forward-looking post where I write about my expectations for the new year because I'll anyways be writing about the Columbia and New York experiences for many years to come, and also, because I'm short on time.

There are many things to look forward to in 2018.

The Indian team is going to play the series of our lifetimes. We've never won a test series overseas and test cricket is on the decline with viewership shifting towards the more immediately gratifying t20 cricket. But this time we have the best team to have ever toured overseas with a good set of fast bowlers, so we have the best chance of winning a test series in SA, England, and Australia. I'll be following these and the other series with great excitement.

I'm going to start a new job. My previous job experience wasn't particularly memorable. I intend to leave a mark, make the most of the next one and prove to myself that I belong. After Columbia, I feel ever more confident and happy about my choice of career in artificial intelligence. Following it taking over the world in the next decades should be quite interesting.

With more time on my hands after graduating, I'm excited about getting back to my old hobbies of reading, investing, chess and maybe even new ones. Over the years I've focused more on reading non-fiction, but I'll get back to fiction this year and also read some Hindi literature.  I also want to get serious about my writing, by starting to work on the few short story ideas that have been revolving in my head for some time.

I haven't focused on my health for the last few years. Ever since I left Delhi in 2013, I've been eating outside every day and I haven't had a proper sleeping schedule for the last 10 years. This year, I've had really erratic sleeping patterns. During the last week of the 2nd semester, I didn't sleep for 4 out of the 5 days and then went temporarily blind on the 5th day for a couple of hours. There have been weeks when I've not slept more than 2 hours in one go(installment sleep), and weeks where I've not slept more than 2 hours a day. It's time to give this temple of my body certain respect in the upcoming year.

So I'm going to focus on my health this year. I'm going to eat healthily, exercise regularly and maintain a proper sleeping schedule.

I will most certainly be married by the time I next sit to pen down a year review. I hope I make the right choice.

Last year, I had written about how I couldn't feel excited enough to meet my mum at the airport after coming to Delhi because I felt guilty about not giving my best in the first semester. This year I'm extremely happy on making them proud and having worked harder than ever before. I can't wait to see them at the airport in a couple of weeks.

Happy New Year everyone,
Spectator

PS - When I read this post again, it looked strange to me, since it was devoid of feelings and emotions, which in quite unlike me. '17 has been like that. It's been so busy that there hasn't been enough time to brood over people and feelings. Do I like it that way? It isn't bad.