Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

As this year comes to a close, I took some time to reflect on inspiration I received some incredibly written works. These include some of my colleagues at Her Campus SJSU, Biculturally, and Kollaboration San Francisco. Words have always made me feel less alone. This year, in the midst of isolation, I retreated into the words of others to find some solace. What I did not expect was writing and publishing my own articles. I had dreams of releasing some of my own work but never expected it to be this year. I guess that the words of others had inspired me to try doing it myself. I am prone to forgetting my own accomplishments so I would also like to take the time to highlighting some of my own words, words that I had no idea were inside me but found their way out. I hope you check these amazing works out for yourself and find comfort in them as well.

My Published Works

The first article I published this year was at California.com, and kickstarted my writing journey. These were my first two articles that truly solidified my love for journalism.

As my love for writing was reignited, I began looking for more publications I could contribute it. I joined incredible teams at Biculturally and Her Campus SJSU who were so supportive. I not only grew as a writer but also found a community of inspiring individuals. Here are some of my favorite pieces I wrote for them (along with some others):

I also had the wonderful opportunity to continue my series on Kollaboration San Francisco, Desi Innovators. I have met and interviewed powerful South Asians breaking barriers in their respective industries. Their work has always provided me with inspiration. Here they are:

Lastly, I was published on one of my favorite online magazines, Brown Girl Magazine. Brown Girl was the big sister I have never had. Seeing my article published on Brown Girl was truly a dream come true:

Articles

There are so many writers that had allowed me to make sense of the craziness of the world. Some of them were emotional: tales of personal growth. Some were factual: exposing the issues in the government. These were some of my favorites, written by exceptional individuals who allowed me to find hope ( and truth) in the craziness that was 2020:

Podcasts

Growing up, I always loved history, particularly the untold tales. Podcasts continue to teach me about history, politics, and the economy. Here are my favorite podcasts, and the episodes I enjoyed the most.

Be sure to sure check out the podcast I am doing with my friend Anika, Local Honey Podcast.

Books

Spending every single day on Zoom can really take a toll on me physically and mentally. After work and in between college classes, I love taking a break from my blue screen and going to another world for a bit. Here are some of my favorite reads with quotes from this year:

“be self instructed. invent life, it is you, the history of its past and the presence of its presentness. there is nothing else, nothing. “

Charles Bukowski, Essential Poetry (Above)

“‘I am tired of trying to hold things together that cannot be held,’ Celia says when he approaches her. ‘Trying to control what cannot be controlled. I am tired of denying myself what I want for fear of breaking things I cannot fix. They will break no matter what we do’”

Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

“This is a theme you will see again and again. Big problems are rarely solved with commensurately big solutions. Instead, they are most often solved by a sequence of small solutions, sometimes over weeks, sometimes over decades.”

Chip Heath & Dan Heath, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard

“We are made of the same stardust of which all things are made, and when we are immersed in suffering or when we are experiencing intense joy, we are being nothing other than what we can’t help but be: a part of our world”

Carlo Ravelli, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

To be honest, I think that we still have a tough road ahead. 2021 may be difficult or it may be wonderful, full of surprises. Anything can happen but whatever does, I hope that you can find tiny moments of joy in your daily life. Words have done that for me and I sincerely wish you find the same. Nevertheless, I am so proud of you for making it through this year. Forgive yourself and celebrate your strength. It does not go unnoticed. See you in the new year, with a reignited hope.

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