We meet again. I am a year older.
In the previous entries [21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26], I think I had the ability to transform my observations into words in a way that felt effortless. Sure, having written is easier than the process of writing, so, it is entirely possible my memory conveniently forgets that writing at all ages would have been differently difficult. Now, the language exists but I don’t feel I have my unique perspective on things figured out. In simpler terms: I write this to discover myself.
The notion that we bottle ourselves in semi-equal parts of a jar holding work & life is interesting. There are numerous articles and folks around how to be an efficient, happy worker or a happier, efficient person — what I concede is that your brain (& heart) experiences both, profoundly.
Thus, (turbulently) traveling to (turbulent) America was a moment in my year where the accolades I earned through my own efforts (& support of some others) enriched my work and life in ways I’ll cherish in all the years to come. A “career” never is a static ladder, frankly. Neither can you excel nor fail in isolation: "We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond" — Gwendolyn Brooks
In hours of “touching grass”, I continue to be humbled beyond imagination by my increased love for playing cricket. The gulf between the simple instructions your brain relays to your body as you run (or, in my case, jog) in to bowl and the way your body actually moves and releases the cricket ball is significant. Further, the slightest change or tweak takes weeks (or months) of repetition and practice to translate into “muscle memory”.
I have so much respect for athletes whose entire lives (especially from childhood) are dedicated to training with no guarantee whether their efforts would ever translate into a profession. For me, it is so easy to feel disappointed over the slow progress, yet, my passion for cricket keeps me believing that I’ll get better, inevitably. I’m also grateful for the friends I have found in this hobby willing to listen to my many self-researched ways of coaching. Perhaps, one day, I can become the coach to somebody like me in the future.
Cricket has been my #1 motivation to lose weight and become fit. I joined a gym at the start of last year and have since lost >10kgs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still not a regular at all and rely on the accountability of a fitness trainer (whom I let down by not showing up frequently enough lolsob) but I can see why the hype of moving your body and building some muscle mass is preached so widely. Currently, I’m slowly rebuilding my confidence with running on the treadmill which I lost after a wrong step (while walking!) caused me to almost slip. Prior, when I didn’t think I could fall, I could run without fear despite being heavier. I know there’s a metaphor here somewhere.
What’s also fun (/s) are chats with my Orthodontist. In case you missed it, I have an overbite between my upper and lower jaw which’ll need surgery to “fix” into a conventional shape. I’m used to my set of teeth and jaw alignment since I’ve had this for most of my life making it difficult to imagine a face that’s “corrected”. There’s definitely pros to the troublesome surgery (as well as cons) but shallow conversations with health professionals around this topic are deeply confusing, especially, as these decisions are (mostly) irrevocable. Side-note: if you’re an Orthodontist reading this, say hi.
Through disconnecting via cricket and training, I’ve felt more recharged to reconnect to community events in the tech space. I spoke at Women in Tech Nottingham, was part of the Vercel London Meetup panel, attended and also spoke at London.js, attended tldraw community event, and more planned in the future (I’m especially interested in returning to conference stages…). Batch Bunch has grown to 6-events strong (with the latest featuring exclusive cupcakes) and has organically become what I like to describe as an “energy boost without the energy drink”.
Tech is changing in (sometimes) forced but clearly notable ways. I can’t believe it’s only been ~5 years since I graduated in which I can highlight experiences shaped by COVID, intense hiring, quiet quitting, Web3 and crypto craze, widespread layoffs, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and these events don’t even include describing the circus of politics that affect our world. I now see that I needed the rest and respite to return feeling like I had the curiosity still in me to find the people, experiences, and creativity that were my pillars when I first entered this field.
The longer you concentrate to retell a dream, the more it evades you. I concentrated to retell the retellings of what life looked life in turning 27. In the peripheral, will remain, all that was left to say.
We can meet again.
Until next time,
Riz