2024 ends tomorrow, and it is time to reflect upon it. I do not remember the resolutions that I made for 2024 and if I lived by them. All I remember were the beautiful moments that we spent with family and friends. Here are the highlights by month.
January 2024 – This was the toughest month of the year. Our grandmother passed away after being critically ill for a year and a half. I am glad we could meet her one final time before she passed away. We dwelled in our childhood memories. It is tough being away from the family at such times.
February 2024 – Mama A visited, and the baby was on cloud 9. Also, took a trip to Mexico for some good sun.
March 2024 – Aunts M&M visited Phoenix with families. The three siblings (N, M&M) met after four years. The baby turned 2. We packed for the temporary move.
April 2024 – We moved to Portland, OR, temporarily for 6 months. Being a PNW fan, I always wanted N and the baby to experience the summers of PNW, and my wishes were granted. We moved with our luggage, and our trunks followed. N’s employer put us in a beautiful, fully-furnished apartment, and the journey began. The baby was introduced to the color green, tulips, and rain. Beaches are beautiful when foggy. The struggle with the baby’s daycare was real.
May 2024 – May was one of the most happening months. It started with family visiting from India for Mama S’s graduation. The Kulkarni-Paranjape residence was filled with love and laughter. We took our first cruise trip as a family. We also traveled to the mountains of Washington with friends. We made beautiful memories.
June 2024 – June took us to the East Coast for our first International Cricket World Cup Match in New York! I will be eternally grateful to Mama A for taking the week off and caring for the baby while I worked. We basked in the New York vibes and explored new areas of Central Park.
July 2024 – Ofsunandsand turned a year older around her beloved friends in an Airbnb by the beach (which was not visible even when we went to the beach) with pani puri and ras malai cake in her mouth. What more can you ask for? I wanted to feel like my old self, and this trip helped.
The baby discovered how therapeutic ‘Me Time’ is and demanded the same.
August 2024 – Mama A visited, and we all took a road trip. The Oregon coast was explored. The best-smoked tomato soup was discovered.
September 2024 – We made our final visit to the beaches to pay homage to the beauty that PNW has. The baby parted ways with her best friends at daycare. We moved back to Phoenix. I could not recognize the cutlery. We had been living a minimalist lifestyle in Portland, and being back in a place with 950735636 utensils confused my tiny brain. The baby was happy to see her older toys.
We left Portland with mixed feelings. Though we loved PNW, we could not wait to move back. We missed the feeling of belongingness.
October 2024 – We spent a few days trying to place our dishes. We also spent a lot of time cleaning up things that did not fit/would never fit/were not needed – receipts, clothes, toys, and shoes. We took a spontaneous surprise trip to India. The smile on everyone’s faces was priceless.
Mom retired from her job after 35 years of employment. I realized that maybe none of us would have a retirement party like that one. Gen Y/Z have been switching jobs so often that the term ‘loyalty’ barely exists. Most of us are running the race for a higher salary and better perks. Will we meet an employer who will be loyal to us like we are loyal to them? One will never know.
November 2024 – The India trip continued and ended in the middle of the month. The annual health check-up reports were good! All of us traveled back to the USA with Tylenol down our throats. We celebrated Thanksgiving, our anniversary, and N’s birthday surrounded with love, laughter, light, and friends.
December 2024 – Things got slower. The baby had adjustment issues with her old/new daycare. We decided to start with traditions. We spent substantial effort on a Christmas tree and related decorations. I learned the concept of a ‘Christmas tree skirt.’ The train of friends, relatives, and good food halted at the house one after the other. The year will end with 4 hours of ‘sick leave’ because that is all I have left.
In hindsight, 2024 was a beautiful year. I saw some highs, some lows, some very lows, and some much-awaited comebacks. A few things I realized were that our parents are getting older and life is fragile. Make memories while you can. One must live in the moment because the present does not last forever.
Wishing you all loads of light, love, laughter, and good food in 2025. Wishing myself the ability to finish my train of thought, and complete a conversation without being interrupted, peace, snow, and pani puri in 2025. God speed.
Of Sun and Sand 