It's almost New Years.
As I rewind and look back, I must say, I am both shocked and surprised.
January – March: Marriage
2012 ended on a high. After years of hide and seek, Sharan and I finally took the plunge and started a new life. It was different yet fun and we thought we had it all in our little matchbox in Bandra. Life couldn't get better.
What we didn't realize was that this was just a beginning.
April – May: The Grand Holiday
We grew up on the big American dream, Sharan more than me and the idea was to finally live it. As we went from coast to coast, we also went through a shift subconsciously. It was in Indianapolis, in a friend’s backyard when it hit us.
We had our lives planned, we were ok with the drudgery of our day to day lives and were happy with it but somehow it just didn't add up. Travel had changed our perspective.
There was so much more to living and exploring than just the routine we were used to. Something was amiss.
Sharan was in talks for an opportunity in Indonesia at the same time. Though unsure about the role, place, my career opportunities and the fact that we didn't know anyone there, at that moment in that backyard in Indianapolis, we decided to take it up.
For people like us who never lived out, never took risks and lived life in a pattern, this was new.
Well, what’s life without a little adventure, we thought.
July - September: Indonesia
July came with two milestones. I turned 30 and the very next day Sharan left for Jakarta. I will never understand or relate to how he must've felt that night at the airport. Everyone close to us was there, to say goodbye and to wish well. To leave all this behind and venture into the unknown; it was a burst of emotions.
It was also heart breaking to leave our first house together, it was our little home, it was a place for friends, it’s where we had the most fun and made some memories.
I think Sharan and I even had a moment where we were more upset about leaving that house than moving away!
September – December: Selamat Datang Di Jakarta
As expected, I quit my job to join Sharan in Jakarta. This was difficult. Of all the jobs I’ve had, Cartoon Network will always stay close to my heart. It was MY brand, a brand I loved, lived and breathed and a place where I made some lifelong friendships. It was sad but maybe it was time.
September 9 was my first day in Jakarta.
I got here with no expectations and God, was I surprised. Suddenly, all stereotypes were broken. For a majority Muslim population, the city is not at all conservative. It’s advanced, has brilliant public transportation, a large expat population, plethora of quaint cafes, restaurants, extremely polite people and world class facilities. I could go on. Seriously.
New city came with new challenges. But that was also the best part. We figured everything from the scratch, house, maid, language, jobs, culture, places, food and it’s only been an endless discovery.
In the process, we met people.
New people, interesting people, fun people, people from different backgrounds, nationalities, cultures and people who made Jakarta home for us.
Don’t know why we never made enough effort to meet new people back home. Should have.
December – till date: A year’s gone by
Many years ago, in a random conversation, Sharan had asked me a question – What do you really want to do?
I want to quit my job, paint, travel, see the world, I answered.
Though shaky, together we took a chance, explored, threw caution to the wind and experimented, failed and succeeded at times but on the way discovered the new ‘new’ and lived the new ‘new’.
And now, as we approach our first anniversary, I can't help but think of what our wedding invite said ".....vow to each other a lifetime of fun, laughter and random misadventures". 
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