End of the 2010s

The end of 2019 is not just the end of another year, but more importantly another decade. For someone of my age, this is the decade that we would remember the most (yet); the one that has contributed significantly into shaping our present. This decade saw us grow from teens to adults amidst the exponential rise of internet and smart phones, people switching to social media and eventually using other apps to restrict its usage and finally caring a lot more about the planet than themselves.

Entering into 2010, I was a young mind who barely knew what the world was like. I was barely sixteen, had to appear for my class 10 examinations in a couple of months and had no experience in dealing with the society. Few months into the decade, I lost a precious gem; saw life at its bare. I was exposed, not as a student as I would have expected, but as an individual. My dad passed away on a Saturday evening, while I was enjoying snacks at my maternal's place, some 300 miles away. We, my mother and I, were told that he was sick and hospitalized; we drove back through the night, reached my hometown at 4 in the morning, only to find that it was one of those days which I could say changed my life forever.

My dad, a true admirer of talent, wasn't around to see his younger son excel in school and two years later at IIT JEE, still every engineering aspirant's dream in India. My mother, a housewife, ensured I had all the resources to work for my passion. My brother, five years elder to me, helped me pursue what I wanted to, while he sat back and took care of what otherwise would have been empty stomachs.

I moved out of my hometown in 2012 to pursue engineering. While my life at college was worth a billion dollars (thanks to the folks I met there), life back home was forever spiralling downwards. From my mother's health to my brother's business, nothing was right.

Come second half of the decade, life took a beautiful turn. My brother switched from setting up his own business to working as a manager at local SMEs. Meanwhile, I completed my engineering degree and landed one of my dream jobs. Life at home started to settle: two kids, both growing into adults and making a comfortable living. For some, this would be a petty thing to cheer about, but for my mother it was a successful milestone. It helped stabilize her health to a great extent.

Staying away from home, both during college and now for work, forged me into what I am today. My little stints with management at college ensured I sharpened the Marwari skills that I inherited. Little reading over the years, trying my hand at poetry and challenging myself to cycle beyond my limits ensured I didn't grow up a nerd.

As a part of my career journey and my passion for travel, I stayed at 4 different Indian cities and visited 16 Indian states, not counting the UTs. I have experienced how beautiful it is to fall in love and also what it is to fall out of it. I have earned few beautiful friends, who have over time proved that I would probably be no one without them.

Over the years, we developed a habit of checking in on mom's health periodically to ensure it got the right attention. We got our generations-old house renovated and we now own a total of four wheels. Very recently, my brother got married. For a family who had been trying hard to overcome its past, adding a new member has brought in a great deal of positive vibes.

While the past decade had been a roller coaster, I don't see any of the future ones being different. Similar to how at the start of 2010, I hadn't foreseen even a tiny bit of my life today, I know 2030 would be a surprise as well. I hope the coming decade is full of excitement, love and that it helps me discover newer passion. To the gone by decade and to the one coming up next, cheers!