Happiness Hangover!

Two weeks of discussion & evaluating the ease of travel came to fruition with my daughter’s persuasion and we were headed home, for holidays, family and making memories.

Three weeks of holiday made up for what was in least “quite frenzied two years” of my quarter century career.

It’s that quintessential balance what we all agree and seek, tipped the scales end of two years in the “life” bracket.

This time landing in India after the longest period of time that I have stayed away from my family was very overwhelming. Here’s a little magic act that did the magic and I saw myself as a prop for – let’s call it the “adla badli jadoo” (replacement act).

Entire year’s work, deadlines, overload, and whatever pressure – whoof vanished!

Hours at end in front of the screen, long calls, late night calls, submissions, and versions (*100th time), changes, new tech, old tech, and tech becoming work – whoof vanished!

Boss/es, upward management, stakeholder buy in, managing expectations - whoof vanished!

Career growth, LinkedIn, Tuesday organisational learning, diversity & inclusion – whoof vanished!

Stock price, bonus, WFH, networking, tracking objectives, excel sheets, new role thoughts – whoof vanished !

F#$%#$ Covid, lockdown, social distancing, 2 people allowed, 5 people allowed, vaccine, vaccine, booster, daily number of effected, alpha – beta – delta – omni – whoof vanished!

Pre-departure, on arrival, pre-travel permission, mask, face-shield, and bloody hand sanitizers – whoof vanished!

By the time we were touching down in Delhi, my brain was representing activities that of a 5-year-old, happily at that. I kept thanking my daughter for her persuasion that we should just GO!

This is the real act and real characters:

Parents….nothing like that warm hug from Ma & Papa

Adoring nephews, love from my sister & brother-in-law [also my Old Monk provider]

The Girls, that make me myself, mostly like I’m still in my footloose 20s Nutty, Yas & Diksh

Warmth of visiting my in-laws and indulging in the most delicious ‘Undhiyu’

Shopping, exploring, going to old haunts and excited about that new store around the bend

Cold Delhi winter, oh! How we’ve missed you…that morning chai…with fog covering us

Food and Old Monk [the best dark rum in the world, also a symbol of winters] & yeah not suitable for that age, as some may say….

SLEEP, albeit a few hours only, so much to catch up on

REPEAT

See I even made an attempt at some humour delivery due to my “happiness hangover”. Ask me to try this again in few months when our “high priority” projects are being delivered and you’ll get some serious looks. As said, everything has a time….

“absence makes the heart grow fonder” – Roman poet Sextus.

Bet he would have added a caveat to it had he been around during all the lockdowns and travel curbs. This was too long for me to be away from loved ones. It can easily bring the thought of questioning why work so god damn hard. Mind you I genuinely love what I do, I love my work its exciting and challenging and loads new learning and folks around are awesome (yeah! those bosses included). I did not even realise how much I needed this ‘holiday’ until I was at Changi, excited like a kid.

In fact, by the final quarter of last year I had to gather all the reserve fuel available. In 25 years of my career, I haven’t felt this way ever. I am sure it would have been a similar story for quite a few.

Holiday gave me everything and much more. I have started the year with renewed energy that is just raring to perform “bring it on” – I can hear myself telling me. I sincerely hope everybody has had the opportunity to spend time with their loved ones and relaxed to come back to work super-charged.

Wish you all a great year ahead and with hope and prayer that pandemic-endemic is finally put to rest once and for all this year.

PS: I’m already planning my next holiday….

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