Life Update + Insights (August 2024)

It has been a long time since I did one of these life updates. So let me catch you up with everything happening in my universe.

Recently, I turned 23. And wow! It has been quite a ride. The last year has been all about growth, bittersweet lessons, new experiments, feeding my soul, healing, and whatnot! As I look back, I’m just grateful for having the privilege to feel it all.

While I leave out the details for some other day, let’s take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from turning 23:

1. Love yourself deeply.

2. Be gentle with life and people. Choose who you let in very carefully.

3. You’re the youngest you’ll ever be and the oldest you’ve ever been. Act like it. Be irrational in the pursuit of your curiosities, and act wise in acting on them.

4. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t take yourself lightly either.

5. Perspective, that’s all it is about. You can change it like a pair of sunglasses anytime you want.

6. You’re yet to see the best in life. You’re also yet to go through a lot.

While I have a very long way to go before I actually earn the credentials to preach it all, this is just a small effort in sharing how it honestly feels. It all sounds so good while reading, embodying it in everyday life is hard.

Btw, I recently visited Vietnam for a short 10-day trip. There’s a word that I still haven’t found, but it is so inspiring to witness Vietnamese women in their everyday lives.

It was around 10 pm when I was in my hotel’s pool in Da Nang. It was on the 10th floor and officially closed for the day so I was the only person there. Suddenly, I heard the footsteps of someone running around which startled me for a bit until I saw two small kids sitting on the edge of the deeper end of the pool. Behind them was their mother just looking at me with a soft smile on her face. We had a short chat before she went to the other side of the rooftop only to come back running to me. She called me so that I didn’t miss out on the fireworks her family was there to see. Just the small gesture of her thinking about me filled my heart with joy.

Another day, I went on a boat ride in Hoi An. I was walking down the street when this man called me to offer a boat ride. After explaining what it’d be like, I agreed to sign up. He took me to the dock where his old mother pulled up a giant motor-operated boat. “dì” or “Aunt” as called her drove the motorboat solo for hours to take me for a bamboo boat ride. Again, I was overwhelmed to see another woman extending her hand for me to jump into her tiny boat. She even made a bamboo ring for me.

Btw, most of the cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores I visited were also run by women. As a young woman traveling solo, it made me feel extremely safe.

Another highlight was falling in love with big tech.

Google Maps is a gift from the heavens! Period.

I faced a lot of linguistic barriers in communicating with locals in smaller cities. However, Google Translate and Lens saved me when nothing else could.

Similarly, Grab, Southeast Asia’s tech corp had my back for all my travels within the cities. At no point, I was worried about the possibility of not being able to reach home. Sometimes Grab drivers went out of their way to drop me where I wanted to go.

Airbnb remains my favorite company not because I’m a Chesky-fan but because it actually makes my life so easy. I got really good deals for my stay, the hosts were even better, and Airbnb “experiences” were the best. I went paragliding after booking the slot via the app. Yes, I put my life in the hands of a total stranger despite us not even speaking the same tongue. But that’s what Airbnb does! It enables trust and a sense of community.

I had my “Find My” location shared with my boyfriend so at no point I felt psychologically unsafe with the possibilities of abduction, getting lost, and the worst of the things I could think of. dramatic cry. Thanks, Apple!

And honestly, the world would be crippled without big tech.

Lastly, some book recommendations:

1. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (For anyone open to refining their understanding of fitness and being a human)

2. The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil (Current read)

3. Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (I haven’t finished it but it’s been great so far. It was also recommended twice by some of the really smart people I know)

4. The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka (Talks about a new approach to life through food)

Honestly, it feels good to see myself growing into someone the younger me would admire. And all thanks to the amazing people who love me the way they do so that I can be a bit more of myself every day.

If you’re reading this, it includes you too! So, thank you for supporting me in putting my heart and mind out here almost every week.