Friends With A City

Sitting back, I kept reflecting, how time keeps moving. Tick, tick, tick! I am a happily settled soul today in Pune. But two years back when I moved here, it was as if the despair setting in would never go. After having moved here from Lagos [Nigeria], not a single day had passed, when I didn’t miss my friends, my work and my amazingly wonderful social life. For months this feeling kept nagging me.

What did I not try? Everything! From making new friends to watching movies frequently, from reading books enthusiastically, to following every TV channel religiously. Nothing was working to uplift my spirit. Nothing made me happy. I only kept thinking about how beautifully life was going on for 3 years in Nigeria. I was in love with my lifestyle. My work- it gave me a boost everyday.

My work? Yes. -There you go!! It was my work that gave me pleasure. So now I could relate to my agony. Maybe I was not one of those people who could sit idle and have an easy routine. Hope my time management didn’t have something to do with it, because over the years I had become an expert to manage routine at my fingertips, so I was left with plenty of time. But this is what I aspired to do anyways.

Never the less, I started thinking what is it that I should do. In this new phase of life, a new career was something I thought I needed. After having spent 7 years in a corporate and 2 years in teaching at school, I knew very well that both these professions were not possible for me at this point. Corporate – for the time it demanded and teaching- for the low salary it offered. So then, what option was I left with? A new career hunt!

Mission starts – I tried working as a property consultant. I failed. I tried getting into fashion. Started making scarves, I failed before I could even launch. A few other to mention, but eventually I was getting nowhere.

I used to read, talk to people and discuss with friends about what profession I should get into. Didn’t find the answer. But that moment- when I was discussing with a friend, that what is it that I like doing the most, what do I love – There u go!! I got the answer.

I knew what I wanted to do. Yes, I knew it!! I wanted to become a trainer/writer. But now, the question was – how? I had no clue where to get started. I called up all the possible training institutes and companies, to do a course. Every course demanded an exorbitant amount. And at this point, finance was also an aspect I wanted to be careful, with growing up kids.

I started reflecting on my global friend list. Called a few friends and took some information. Through and through, I started getting links and finally I connected to ITC[International Trainers Conclave], thanks to Niyati Shah and Asif Ebrahim. This did the miracle. Work started pouring in. I kept moving towards my goal and taking up every assignment that came my way. I kept on training and training and training. With the feedback people got about me, more work started coming in. So finally I was settling and was starting to feel buds of happiness growing inside me. I also met many like-minded people in this role as a trainer. I was suddenly in love with the city. Not to mention, this city gave me the inspiration to learn driving too. So now, I no longer had any complaints. I loved to drive for work and meet my new friends and accompany my kids to school and for fun activities. I loved the whether here. I was falling in love with Pune. There was this hidden passion still waiting to be discovered –writing! So here I am, writing my first blog to unleash myself completely.

But still, at times I get carried away with reflections about my life, where I have had to relocate more than 7 times in the last 10 years. The thought scares me – what if I may have to leave from here too. But wait! There is this most important thing, this city has taught me- yes, it is- TO BE FEARLESS! Thankful, I am – from the core deep within. Today maybe I have found the secret – How to be FRIENDS WITH A CITY.