Thank You

Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday, and in 8 days I shall be on my way to Nepal. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to celebrate both.

Though some parts of the “surprise” party weren’t exactly a surprise, the night was still perfect. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that came; it was amazing to see all of your faces. Most importantly, I want to say the dearest of thank yous to those of you that were actually involved in the planning of the night. I hope it wasn’t too stressful or difficult to organize.

I especially want to say thank you for the gifts that you gave me. I have to say, the life-size cheque was probably the funniest and sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. The fact that you all pooled together to help me out is honestly so damn touching. About a month or two back, I wrote a post about the power of kindness. Yesterday, you guys bestowed on me an act of kindness I will never forget. What you all did was so unbelievably thoughtful and I’m lucky to have you all as friends. And like all great acts of kindness, your actions have motivated me to pay it forward. Now, more than ever before, I am determined and driven to bring about meaningful change in the work that I do. Though I will miss you all incredibly, you’ve dismissed most of my fears and anxieties about the trip and all I can really feel is hope.

Packing... Oh the Anxiety!

Current Countdown: 12 days until Nepal!!

With the trip fast approaching, people keep asking me if I’m excited, and of course I am. But I’m nervous too, and sort of a little scared. There’s a lot to wrap your head around when you’re leaving the country and going somewhere so very far outside of your comfort zone. I have a million questions that have yet to be answered, no idea where I’m actually living, and I’m still unsure of what to expect.

With all that being said, I finally acknowledged today that I may be avoiding how real and how soon this is all happening. The countdown has until now been nothing but a blur of numbers. I came to realization of my avoidance today when I looked at the two very empty suitcases sitting in my room;
these suitcases have been sitting in my room for about two weeks and I haven’t even taken the plastic wrap off of one. To those last-minute packers, this may seem like no big deal… but, you see, I am the opposite. I like packing for weekend trips a week or two in advance... which makes me about 3 months behind in my packing for Nepal haha!

I think a lot of my nervousness stems from this being something that I’ve been working towards for the last three and a half years; my extreme levels of excitement for this trip are in part why I’m so nervous. I’m also nervous for all that I leave behind. I am so excited to live this adventure but I will of course miss home, my friends, and my family. They will all be experiencing new things and living great adventures as well so, naturally, I have FOMO. And that’s okay. I’ve finally come to terms with all of this and, though I’ve had some people tell me that you shouldn’t think about the “bad” stuff, I disagree. I think it’s important to acknowledge and accept the anxiety; it doesn’t at all take away from my enthusiasm or anticipation for the trip. I know it’s going to be an absolutely amazing, and eye-opening experience. By thinking about some of the “bad”, I find myself mentally preparing myself for all that is to come. Each experience – as small as it may be, good or bad – is a life lesson. Each of these lessons enhances your self-awareness and, ideally, helps you become a better version of yourself. So today, I embrace the moments to come these next 8 months – the difficult, the sad, the lonely, the exhilarating, the funny, the confusing, the heart-warming, and the eye-opening.

Folks, for those of you confused by what just happened above, you’ve been fortunate enough to witness me using my blog to deal with and overcome my personal issues. I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into the workings of my head.

In light of my new realizations, its about time I get it together. I am going to get the ball rolling, and tomorrow I shall start packing!!!

Undergrad, I Bid Thee Farewell

Disclosure: the piece below is filled with numerous unnecessarily corny clichés.

Before I get started... 21 days till Nepal. Oh gosh. I can't wait!!!!!

As you can fairly assume, my thoughts have been consumed by anything and everything related to the trip. In fact, I’ve been so excited for Nepal and my upcoming adventures that I haven’t had a chance to really conclude the undergrad chapter of my life. For those of you that may be confused as per the arrangements surrounding my field placement, it is in fact part of my undergrad – so, no, I am not yet a graduate. However, once I’m done the placement, I’m back in Waterloo for two weeks to debrief (i.e. nothing undergrady)… and then I’m done forever.
As of right now, I’ve written my last paper, completed my last exam, attended my last class, taken my grad photos, and handed in my intent to graduate… which essentially means I’m very much so done with everything that makes your undergrad an undergrad. With all that being said, it’s about time I gave this chapter of my life the closing that it deserves..

Fall of 2009: I remember moving into North One Village One like it was yesterday. I arrived to residence excited, eager, and with three suitcases of clothing more than any of my closets could fit. Four years later, some things have stayed the same – I still intend to take the maximum allowed luggage to Nepal – and others have changed. All in all, my undergraduate experience has been an unforgettable one, culminating into a life lesson about personal growth, trying new things, testing your limits, and learning to love.

I’m still blown away sometimes when I think about how I enrolled in Waterloo expecting to someday pursue a career involving Math and French… boy oh boy was I mistaken. Lucky for me, I discovered my calling pretty early on into my undergrad, and it’s been enlightening ever since. The classes I’ve taken, as inapplicable as some may appear to be (*cough #ohindev cough*), have instilled in me a passion to learn, and to learn, and to keep learning.

Although the field of international development, and some of the unfortunate realities of today’s world provide us with many opportunities to be cynical, I truly believe that someday good will prevail. Through multiple efforts, on all levels of scale, I believe that there is potential to break the vicious cycles of poverty in which so many people are currently entrapped. The people I’ve met and the things I’ve learned during my undergrad have made me a believer in the power of kindness. I haven’t quite figured out through which avenue I will go about bridging the gap, but I’m confident that my future life experiences will bring to figuring it out/finding the answer.

My undergrad experience, of course, hasn’t been all about classes (wouldn’t that be a shame!); the people I’ve met, and the memories we’ve created, are without a doubt central to me being who I am today.

To my Waterloo family (and Zubair, to whom I’m not officially related), I love you all incredibly and the last four years have been an absolute adventure. From the bubble tea dates in first year (Alyyah = permanent chor), to the countless barbecues, to your unhealthy gambling, to the secret underground escapades – we’ve had way too much fun and it’s been an unforgettable experience. Thanks for everything you have done to love and support me,  I'm truly blessed to have shared so many of life's milestones with you. You are my family like no other and I can't wait to grow old with all of you haha.

And Indevours, oh my dearest Indevours, you are all a part of this sick, twisted, and yet, wonderful family that I will truly cherish forever. Our undergrad has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, but I’ve enjoyed the ride. Each of you is so unique, so special, and I’ve learned so much through every single one of you. From the common adversaries, to the endless term papers, to the nights at Bomber, to all the hilarious memories (Get on my level!), we've all had so much fun together. I’ve enjoyed every part of this undergrad and feel so damn lucky to be studying with you at the University of Waterloo. With all of our varying interests and unparalleled passion, I can’t wait to see what our futures hold and all that we accomplish. We will work for change!

So to my Undergrad, I bid Thee farewell – I can’t believe how quickly time has flown by. The lessons I’ve learned during my undergrad experience are ones I intend to carry with me through life. The passion instilled in me for a more just world is a driving force in my efforts to bring meaningful change in all the work that I do. As this chapter of my life comes to a close, so many new things have just gotten underway. For starters, I’m saying goodbye to Waterloo and hello to Nepal. I can’t wait to see what life has in store for me; if it’s anything like my undergrad, I’m in for the experience of a lifetime!