To the three people that might potentially read this, hello! Welcome to my personal blog. I could say that I’ve been planning to do this for a long time, but that would be a lie. A friend suggested I do this yesterday, and I thought, why the heck not. So here I am writing (typing) away at 20:30 (military time FTW) on a Sunday.
Before I get into it, I want to give a bit of an informal introduction to whatever this will end up being (I’m still trying to figure that out, TBH). I’m a copywriter, but please do not expect top-quality writing from this blog. It will likely be unfiltered thoughts, and, I won’t lie, some (most?) of it won’t make sense. But what I can promise is that I’ll do my best to make it worth your time – whether you’re on the way to work (is that even a thing anymore), on the throne, or just looking for something to read because you’re bored as fuck. Which reminds me, I do want to warn that I will drop multiple F-bombs and other words from the same family. If that bothers you, what the fuck are you still doing here? No, I’m sorry, I don’t mean that.
The idea behind this weekly (subject to change) blog is to talk about everything under the sun. Nothing is off-limits. It could be about the vast universe and how we’re truly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Or it could be about how annoyed I was when my co-worker forced me to make an unnecessary copy change (this happened three months ago, and I’m still so salty). If you’re ever not interested in what I’m saying, I won’t be offended. Just like in advertising/PR, there are two audiences – me (primary) and the three readers (secondary). Clearly my job is taking over my life.
Anyhoo, since this is the first week of 2022 and there’s not much to report, this is a great opportunity to look back at a pretty eventful 2021. This might be a long one, so please bear with me.
When I lived in India, I celebrated NYE with my friends every year. Hands down some of the best times. As stupid as it sounds, drinking with them when my father was around was just something else. Maybe it was because my father didn’t think I was old enough to drink at the time (which, honestly, was not inaccurate)? Whatever the cause, simply great times. For some reason, as amazing as Canada has been for me in several ways, every NYE has been shit (except maybe one, but I was working that night). Last year was the worst. I forced myself to sleep at 23:00 because I didn’t want to stay awake and feel the loneliness that had been plaguing me for much of the year. But a part of me was quietly optimistic for the year to come.
I had a few new year’s resolutions. I didn’t follow through on most of them, but I did manage to do the one that mattered most to me. Take fitness seriously. Having tried it a few times in the past and not quite able to stick with it, I am extremely glad to have been doing it religiously for almost the entirety of 2021. The impact it has had on my mental health is just *chef’s kiss*
When the year began, I lived in Peterborough (for those who don’t know, it’s a city about two hours from Toronto) and worked at an ad agency there. I didn’t enjoy either living in PTBO or working there. The people at my workplace were great, so it wasn’t them; it was mostly the work. Or, I should say, the lack of it. So, I was looking for an out and, to my surprise, two doors opened. One was one of Canada’s best ad agencies, and the other was a PR company. Although I knew next to nothing about PR, the opportunity seemed more enticing at the time. My boss would be someone I had worked with before (and I LOVED working with her). And they offered more money, too. So, I chose the latter. And I’m happy to say that I made the right choice.
I only started the job in April, and it took me about 2-3 months to truly understand the PR world (honestly, I think I’m still in the learning stage). But, once I got in the groove, I felt… good. Not many have that feeling when it comes to their job, so let me take this moment to acknowledge how grateful I am. Special shout out to my boss Elma who is the absolute fucking best. Also, can I just say how incredible it is to work at a company where the majority of leaders are women?
Pivoting slightly to my living situation, I continued to live in Peterborough, where I had moved two weeks before the pandemic (YES, two fucking weeks!). My only housemate was my landlady Kelly, a 55-year-old white woman who had never been friends with a POC. Somehow, it worked. We both respected each other’s space and also enjoyed spending time together. But, as comfortable as it was, I really wanted a place of my own. It’s just something I had been craving for a long time, and I luckily found an inexpensive place in Etobicoke (a suburb of Toronto). So, I moved at the end of May.
As someone who had never lived alone, I was obviously very excited. But, boy, did it exceed my expectations. Waking up to a clean bathroom. Cooking in a clean kitchen. Why did I not do this earlier?! Safe to say that my living situation also did a ton of good for my mental health. If you’re considering getting a place of your own, don’t even think about it. Just fucking do it.
One thing that was still messing with my head quite a bit was the world’s uninvited guest – COVID-19. To be very honest, I was super scared of contracting the virus. My second shot certainly put me at ease, but what got me “back into the world” was my solo trip to Banff and Jasper. Going from being at home pretty much all the time to a place with no mask mandate was… extremely weird. But it did a ton of good for me as I’ve been much more “normal” since that trip. I also met someone on that trip – she was the first woman I had liked in over two years. But, there were many red flags, so I’m not assed that nothing happened.
Sidenote: Banff and Jasper were both breathtaking. The first couple of days were kinda fucked because of wildfire smoke, but the rest of the trip was 11/10. If you ever get the chance, please, please, please go. You will not regret it. But, do know that it is expensive AF.
Throughout the year, I met many amazing people. I’ve had to let go of a few friends, but I’ve made new ones and, for that, I’m thankful. A couple of friends from India moved to Canada last year. That was cool. But, the highlight was, hands down, meeting a woman at our company holiday party. You know when you meet someone, and it feels like everything just… fits? That’s what it felt like. Now, I’m not saying she didn’t have flaws. I mean, don’t we all? But there was something about her that made me feel things that I hadn’t in a long, long time. I won’t use the L-word because I don’t think I quite got there, but I was 100% falling for her. Un-fucking-fortunately, it didn’t work out. Since this is not her blog, I won’t share her reasons, but I respect them. Such a shame because I think we would have been great together. On the bright side, though, she did a ton of good for my confidence. Maybe that’s all she was meant to do?
I cannot believe I’ve written over 1300 words already. But that’s a summary of my 2021. Was it good? Absolutely. Could it have been better? Perhaps, but I’ll take 2021 any day over 2020. I got the chance to bring in the new year with my new friends, and I’m so glad I did. I hope 2022 continues to be good vibes.
Oh, I almost forgot. My sister fought depression and slapped that bitch in the face. She’s not 100% out of it, but she’s getting there. She also aced her exams. And turned 18 last year. What a phenomenal kid. I’m so proud of her. And also my mother who has been nothing but a rock for my sister when I’m always a million miles away. I hope to be able to see them (in person, obviously) before the end of 2022.
Just as a heads up, the upcoming editions will be more reflective than just a recap of the past week. So, if you were bored with this one, I apologize. I promise it will get better. I will do better. Besides, the first time is rarely ever good.