Dear 2018…
Dear 2018,
What a year, you were. It literally has taken me two weeks to process the last 365 days. I could not fathom the words I have for how things have been. When you started, there was a lot of confusion has to how things were to progress. I mean I never came up with a plan as to how I was going to go on.
We started the year with a memorable and low key birthday. For once I had not planned precisely what I wanted to do, except that I wanted to spend time with the people I care about. And like any year in the last few years, it ended with a shot of Tabasco to hope for a good year. And not in retrospect you really were great.
February and March, things became difficult but with the release of In My Blood, I finally found the courage to open up and talk to the people around me that I needed help. And since that moment, every day has been a learning process and things have been getting better.
In April, we began the last 15 weeks of college. I counted down the weeks, but I dreaded them ending as the weeks went on.
In May, I took one of the biggest leap of faith with you and started Shopaholic Sharika. And I would not have it done any other way, than have my best friend with me (albeit on FaceTime) as I launched the website. Every article since then has been sharing a little bit of me and gaining confidence in who I am.
June, remember the second last day… I forever marked my love for music, one of my favorite songs, and the emotions behind it with my first tattoo. I will always remember how instantaneous that decision was and the rush of adrenaline as the ink touched my shoulder.
July was bittersweet, with the end of classes, and saying goodbye the teachers who had become your mentors in the last four years. And like every assignment ever, I managed to submit my thesis with minutes left on the deadline.
August, oh my god, I still can’t believe. Honestly, every time I look at my lock screen I can’t help but smile at how cool and amazing August 18th was. Meeting Shawn and listening to him live for the first time with one of my closest friends and the only one who gets my fangirl life has me speechless. I could keep talking about it but that would leave me with no room for the next months. Fashion wise, I took risks with you that I did not take in 2017, I lived in shorts and went back to band t-shirts and honestly I’d love to go back to that weather.
September, the finale to the last 4 years. I wasn’t ready to graduate. There’s video evidence of it… For much of my life, I had known what I was going to do next. Like after senior year of high school was going to be college. It’s just that after senior year of college there seemed like a big unanswered question, but now I guess everything has worked out. But yes Graduation… I have never seen my parents smile as hard as they did that day. And I could not be more thankful.
October was a busy month of interviews and facing rejections. Back then it felt like I was whirling inside a blackhole, but now those jobs were not meant for me and I was not going in the right path back then. I was not looking for a job because I wanted to do something I was passionate, I started looking for a job just for the heck of it and that would not make me happy in the long run. But the most interesting thing of October is my desi outfit shoots, and how in those two shoots I was so confident and fearless with myself, that I danced to Lost In Japan on the streets of Shibuya, the day the LIJ music video dropped and wearing a gold backless lace blouse in front of Tokyo Tower.
November… oh November. From the repTour to finally starting my first real job. Beginning with repTour… repTour was emotional as soon as the beat for “Are You Ready For It?” I started to cry, in all these years of being a fan of Taylor to see her live for the first time and the repTour being mom’s first concert was such a big emotional roller coaster. And then the big moment of the with you, 2018; was that this chica got a job. Like a big girl, career woman job. And I was so nervous the first day but now I have slowly eased into it. But yes the blog and my Instagram has suffered in the last two months; but I’m going to make a come back.
December flew by so quickly. And there was a set routine and I fell so happy in my work and job. Everyday I go into work it is a pinch me moment and I am so happy and grateful.
You know 2018, you could have slowed down a bit. You were a rollercoaster but we landed right, so it’s all good. So here’s to the next one. Hello 2019!
Love,
Sharika
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