Welcome to my standard night at ISB. It\u2019s 4am and it\u2019s both late night and early morning. I can hear the Gurbani playing in the east as Calvin Harris slowly morphs into Nucleya to the west of my room. Outside in the living room, people are discussing public policy in rural India, over a game of Monopoly, and as I look out of my window I see a rabbit hop towards the wood heated from last night\u2019s bonfire. It gets too close and immediately backs away, hopping once again into the darkness. None of us gets a how-to guide, you see? Everybody\u2019s just somewhat winging it.<\/p>\n
The wine is over and the temperature is at it\u2019s lowest for the day, so we bring out the rum. The Monopoly has begun to disturb friendships, so we bring out the rum. We\u2019re out of ideas and the paper is due in two hours, so we bring out the rum. A little liquid courage never hurt anyone, so we bring out the rum. Only to wake up the next morning, thirsty, exhausted, drowsy \u2013 yet somehow more accomplished, dearer, warmer.<\/p>\n
I won\u2019t lie, it\u2019s been an especially gruelling year \u2013 but that\u2019s what we came here for in the first place, isn\u2019t it? A year that would ideally have taken two. Not just in what we learn and experience but also physically, mentally, emotionally. Some days we surprise ourselves and own it \u2013 the classes, the assignments, the study groups and the networking, still somehow managing to spend quality time with the ones who matter. And yet, some days, we leave our spectacles in the refrigerator.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the beauty of life at this pace. Ever so often it reminds you that you\u2019re still human. Allow yourself a breath \u2013 a wasted day, a missed deadline, a failed interview. And then get back up, immediately. That\u2019s what we came here for in the first place, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n
A year that would ideally have taken more time.<\/p>\n
And now with graduation day almost in sight, I try to think of all the ways to tell people all the things I wish I\u2019d known when I began my year here, most of which have to do with emotional stability. That even as you start out, you will meet people who see the same stars as you do. They will inspire you, overwhelm you, bring out the best and worst in you and slowly become a part of you.<\/p>\n
But people, as people do, change. Sometimes you just outgrow the ones you started out with, for you mature with experiences, not with years. All of a sudden you\u2019ll be looking at the same stars, seeing different constellations. And nobody is better or worse for it, we just make our own momentum as we go from bone crushing hugs to firm handshakes.<\/p>\n
And then there\u2019s the ones you find and keep \u2013 different momentums, different starting points and all that jazz. But the same escape velocity. They come out of nowhere and as they do, you realise that for this one year, you\u2019re always one decision away from a parallel universe. And for that one reason, this year is the beginning of anything you want.<\/p>\n
I wish we could have bottled this year, like a perfume. Breathed in a little every time life got dreary or uninspiring.<\/p>\n
But we can\u2019t, so we bring out the rum.<\/p>\n
Welcome to my standard night at ISB. It\u2019s 4am and it\u2019s both late night and early morning. I can hear the Gurbani playing in the east as Calvin Harris slowly morphs into Nucleya to the west of my room. Outside in the living room, people are discussing public policy in rural India, over a game […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n