FIRST ANNIVERSARY

Happy First Anniversary!!It’s been one year since I started my blog and wrote my first post. It has been quite a journey so far beginning with all the apprehensions and doubts of a newbie to a more chilled out blogger, comfortable with putting my thoughts out for the world. And, I still have “miles to go”..

During this past year I have come across some amazing, talented and beautiful bloggers. They inspired me, made me smile, gave me some food for thought or simply took my breath away with their beautiful pictures and creative ideas. And there are many more wonderful bloggers out there waiting to be discovered by me and that’s something I’m really looking forward to.

This year I received my first (and only) award-  the ‘Illuminating Blogger Award’.

This was awarded to me by Brigitte from

Brigitte’s Banter

– an amazing blogger herself who does the most inspiring posts.

And here’s a  list of other blogs that I enjoy

Get Write Down To It

all five horizons

Bucket List Publications

Great Smitten

Mostly Bright Ideas

analyfe

Fear No Weebles

LIFE and Leadership by Chris Brady

Modern Scheherzade

pumps & iron

DENY Designs

Second Lunch

life to reset

Kristen Lamb’s Blog

I Train, Therefore I Eat.

GREATER VOICE™

Five in Tow

Embracing the Mundane

Cartoons & Creative Writing

Sarah Smiles Awhile

Live to Write – Write to Live

Girl on the Contrary

I wish to give them all Awards but I’m still figuring out how this space works( i’m a slow poke learner).

Reading other bloggers’ posts also made me get in touch with my own self in more ways than one and I figured out a few more things about myself-

1. I love working out. Every morning once the alarm goes off I’m all pepped and geared up for workout session, at home.  I’ve also started looking up some good exercises that can help me stay fit. And I’m loving the zing that I get after a good, sweaty session of cardios, yoga, Pilates or weights.
2. Strong women inspire me- I have a beautiful quote that I’d noted in my diary, long back-“there’s a growing strength in women, but it’s in the forehead, not the forearm”. Completely dig that.
3. Although I’m a great cook as endorsed by my daughter’s friends ( and I say this with all the humility and modesty  I can muster), and I love looking up new recipes and noting them down but I hate to potter around the kitchen.  In fact most of the time what happens is that I try a new dish and it turns out good then when I try it the second time I usually make it all up and it turns out different but still Yummy, which results in a debate between Hubby and daughter as to which one was better while I sit cool as cucumber because I know it will turn out still different the third time round..
4. I now don’t shy away from attempting something new however tough it might seem at first.

For this year I do have some plans about my posts. I have learnt a lot about different countries, their cultures and ways of life. So this year I’ve decided to tell the world about my country, it’s culture, it’s festivals, it’s rituals, it’s history and other interesting things,  along with my usual ramblings. I hope and will try to make them an interesting read for all.

So I’m still exploring the blogosphere, trying to decipher it’s huge and amazing potential of bringing the talents and creativity of millions of people across the globe onto one small platform. Of making people aware of the ways of life of people from different cultures and countries so that we may learn to respect, appreciate our differences and understand each other better.

On our recent trip to Ladakh, we met a 72 years, wise, old American lady, who’s been visiting Ladakh for the past 25 years and has been friends with  a family,( they were running the hotel we stayed in)in fact more a family member now. Her name was ‘Ellen’ and she’d travelled to a lot of places and countries on this planet. She said to us,

“People all over the world are the same. They want to live their lives peacefully with dignity, work hard with honesty, and want a better world and life for their children.”

A beautiful thought and that must be the reason we feel a kinship with others when they share their lives, feelings and experiences.

I sign off now with great hopes for the coming year. As such life always has her own share of surprises for me. CHEERS!!