Happy New Year: 2019

The new year has begun. I feel filled with high hopes, which hasn't been a forte of mine since as long as I could remember. I know I know, this isn't quite me and not what I had something in my mind after tumultuous 2018. 2018 was year with a different set of hurdles and I went with them sometimes sideways, at times along with them, and if psyche abandoned me so did I the troubling thing. I struggled with new job for the first half of 2018. It takes around six to eight months to learn the ropes at new position, manage expectations, set expectations with self and maintain the spirits having defeating challenges which seemed insurmountable once.  

Besides work and apart from regular hiccups I'd my share of issues with life of looking bride which has been an untamable task so far. Situation looks grim at times, at times OK and at times stale, and again rejuvenated. It's a tough call to make. It's not easy to decide and look through the next years how this is going to shape up. Apart from making the call, comes baggage of things that comprise thoughts, humor, interests, career-cum-professional life and such. Oh, how in heaven did I forget to mention horoscope? By later half of the year I succumbed to this, realizing this is endless and not taking me anywhere. This should have given peace of mind rather created a chaos. I managed myself to gather myself to nail things at work that derailed. I cannot thank enough my PI (principal investigator; I do research in aging disorders and not solve murder mysteries) for his constant support in mind numbing upheaval. He's been nothing short of a mentor, a friend. I'm fortunate to be with him in this phase of life and career. My roommate along with few friends have been strong pillar of support and pillor too, when times demanded.  

Next, I'd another issue of traveling a level next in my career for better or say clearer path. I made couple of attempts to pass the barrier but in vain. The whole process took the last ounce out of me everyday, chopped few months from schedule which were more than I'd anticipated.  

Amidst all these one thing that has suffered a lot is reading. I absolutely loathe self when I've to forsake reading to focus my time and energy on something more important than reading. I get disheartened when my hands crave for book (kindle) yet I can't find enough time to read properly. To put more that were compromised are workouts and writing. Workouts have sort of become a ritual at this point. I tend to feel my day incomplete without workouts. I've been habituated to them and they have seamlessly become an important constituent of my routine. They bore the brunt at times due to poor sleep, low spirits. With writing, I can barely put something to defend my zero (only two posts) writing for 2018. I couldn't pull myself to pen down. I hope to improve on this this year.  

Not everything was charmless as aforementioned luckily. Mid year I had for the first time attended a scientific conference in Chicago. I was thankful to present a poster there and walk down the Chicago river promenade at night in pleasant July Chicago weather. In the later half of the year I'd once a lifetime opportunity to watch Roger Federer match that he lost at US Open. I also got chance to see Maria Sharapova lose, not so fortunate day for the players as it turned out. I saw (on screen) Ex-president Bill Clinton. I had been to music concert by Ed Sheeran, which was incredibly good given the age group that was there pumping their hearts and bosoms for blue-eyed singer. It was a fun sight. By the end of year I finally went to take a tour of The United Nations in the New York City which I'd yearned for few months.

It's good that this has turned out to be a longer post than I'd imagined. I didn't whine much and avoided making cliche resolutions (in a way) for new year.   

Anyway that was 2018 in brief; good riddance. A very happy new year to all of you and may you get stronger with every passing day!

*Edited*