My 2025 was anything but ordinary. It came with big life changes and a few career-altering moments- a new city, a new job, new friends, and a new blog. I explored unfamiliar places, flirted with a couple of side hustles, tried (and failed) to get fitter, and learned more than I expected about myself and the world around me.
Now, as the year comes to a close, it feels like I’ve been living in three parallel worlds- the one we are handed, the one we scroll through endlessly, and the one we occasionally escape to (when paid leaves and bank balances permit :p).
Moving cities and jobs sounds exciting on paper. In reality, it comes with its own set of challenges, expectations, and a quiet pressure to hold it all together. For someone like me, who is fiercely independent and chronically hesitant to ask for help, the exhaustion was very real.
From wrapping up a home that had been close to family and familiar for over a decade, to moving to a city with arguably the highest crime rates in the country, it was one long emotional roller coaster. Add to that the stress of finding a new apartment, setting it up perfectly, learning the ropes at a new workplace, and constantly proving yourself in male-dominated teams, and I found myself wondering if the move was even worth it.
But today, ten months down the line, I can confidently say: yes, it was.
I won’t go so far as to say this new place has my heart, but it has definitely taught me a lot. Because, somewhere along the way, I realised I wasn’t just adjusting to a new city or job, I was navigating a familiar set of expectations. Be capable. Be agreeable. Don’t inconvenience anyone. Handle it yourself. The need to constantly prove myself at work wasn’t really about ambition either, it was about survival in spaces where competence is assumed for some and questioned for others.
Slowly but surely, I learned to let go- of perfection, of doing everything myself, of equating self-reliance with never asking for help. I learned to speak up when my needs or contributions felt overlooked. I still hate confrontations, but this time, I didn’t actively shy away from them (even if it meant choking back angry tears).
And perhaps most importantly, I found a long-term hobby in this blog- a space to expand into newer horizons, learn more about the world, and, occasionally, tell it a thing or two about my experience of it.
With one world slowly making sense, I began paying closer attention to another- the one I consumed, curated, and occasionally questioned.
2025 came with a lot of content, and I mean a lot. From Coldplay’s India tour to an affair accidentally caught on the big screens at a Coldplay concert. From India beating South Africa in the ICC Women’s World Cup to RCB winning the IPL trophy (WHAAAAAT!). From SRK and Diljit walking the Cannes red carpet, with all of us momentarily holding our breath at the sheer grandiosity of their outfits, to celebrities publicly making (and breaking) relationships, right there on our feeds. Opinions were aired and hot takes were shared.
And that was just real life bleeding into the internet.
I binged on Squid Game, spiralled into bottomless Stranger Things theories, watched Ghibli-style art and Labubu mania flood our timelines, and refreshed my feed like something important might happen if I looked away for too long. This year kept me, and most probably you too, glued to our screens.
And if screens weren’t enough, there was a lot happening in the scenes between pages as well. I read voraciously. Not necessarily the latest or trendiest titles, but books that genuinely piqued my interest. Dan Brown, one of my favourite authors, made a comeback with The Secret of the Secrets. While the book itself was admittedly below average, it did leave me with a few ideas I still find myself thinking about.
I consumed it all, sometimes consciously, sometimes on autopilot, mistaking staying updated for staying informed. But somewhere between hot takes and hot teas, I realised not everything needed my reaction. Not every moment required an opinion. And not every piece of content deserved space in my head.
So I chose to pause and ponder. To understand before commenting. And once I stopped consuming the world so loudly, I felt the urge to experience it more quietly- beyond screens, timelines, and notifications.
While much of India seemed to be travelling beyond national borders this year, my husband and I chose a slightly different route. We stole away a few long weekends here and there, making the most of our move and exploring the northern parts of the country instead.
We spotted majestic one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga, walked quite literally on clouds at Laitlum Canyon in Shillong, and learned about the matriarchal society of Meghalaya. Here, women are often the primary breadwinners, while men take care of the home. Cooking, cleaning, running the household- these weren’t just expected of men; they were normalised. That felt quietly radical, almost revolutionary in its ordinariness.
On my birthday this year, I was clear about what I wanted- a road trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. While monsoons aren’t exactly the ideal season for sightseeing, it worked out perfectly for us. The weather was pleasant for the long drive, and on the morning of our visit, the skies cleared just in time. Watching the Taj Mahal glisten as the sun rose was nothing short of magical. Waking up at 4 a.m. for a sight like that? Completely worth it. As our guide walked us through the monument’s intricate architecture, the craftsmanship, the inlaid gemstones, diamonds, and gold, and spoke about how much of it was plundered during the British Raj, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much we once had, and how much was lost to unchecked greed.
And finally, just before winter break officially set in, we squeezed in quick trips to Jaipur and Mussoorie. Jaipur offered a taste of royalty and grandeur, with the majestic City Palace standing tall in quiet confidence. Mussoorie, on the other hand, gave us a gentle escape from the humdrum of city life with its cobbled walkways, quiet, Christmassy cafés, and soul-soothing cups of hot chocolate.
Looking back, these trips weren’t about ticking destinations off a list. They were about slowing down, paying attention, and allowing places to teach me something- about history, about power, about women, and about myself. Somewhere between winding roads, early mornings, and unplanned pauses, I realised that travel, much like growth, doesn’t always need distance. Sometimes, it just needs presence.
As I step into 2026, I’ll carry my familiar resolutions with me- getting healthier, a little more smarter, and hopefully sassier. But more than that, I want to be mindful: of the expectations I take on, the moments I choose to speak up, the content I consume, and the value of pausing- to reflect, recalibrate, and course-correct when needed.
And I’ll keep travelling and telling stories- of the world we inherit, the one we consume, and the one I escaped to. Because the worlds we move through shape us, and noticing that feels like a good place to begin 🙂
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Masternee
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