2021 Highlights

I love doing a year wrapped (like spotify, ahaha). I've been doing it since 2017. (Missed 2018, ugh) but you can check out my older years here. 2017, 2019, 2020. 

2021 was truly a rollercoaster of a year because there were SO SO MANY bad moments but there were equally (if not in number, then in magnitude) of happy exciting moments and I am so beyond grateful for the year. Here are my highlights of the year!

I probably taught more students this year than the previous two years. Teaching always brings me so much joy, and my calling in life definitely is academics because I enjoy everything about it (minus the bureacracy and elitism). I taught at 3 different colleges, all online and met so many students all of whom I hope I was able to make their academic lives better through the online classes we had. 

This year I finally really got into crossword. It has always been a lingering thing and as a self described puzzle girl, it is high time. When I go into something, I just make it my entire personality and for half a year AL and I did the crosswords everyday (well almost every day) and it was such a blast. There were so many moments that sparked joy and ones that sparked anger at how ridiculous NYtimes was! 

This record has been broken by my husband, ugh.

As usual, I did my fair share of watching TV shows but like 90% of my shows were Kdramas. It's hard to watch English shows now, give me the visuals, the cinematography and the ahjussis of Kdramas, I'll choose that everyday. Last year did prove to be so busy that I did not have enough time to enjoy as much of mindless TV as I would have liked. 

Reading wise, it was a very interesting year for me, because for half the year I was in a reading slump reading maybe 3 books in total and then last half of the year I was reading like a thirty books back to back, it was such a craze. I will hopefully do a separate post about my best books of the year. 

Mom started making book sleeves this month, and I love them.

Gift giving is truly my love language and lats year, more than every, I embraced every little aspect of it, from choosing a gift, to the packing and the polish. I love to spoil the people I love and showing my creativity through the gift wrap. 

Giving "blind dates" as books have become my new fav thing!

Jannat went through a kafka-esque metamorphosis during her journey through Faerun as she battled more dragons and giants and made friends far and stayed true to her kind heart and fighting spirit. I really enjoyed DnD sessions, it became a place of hope and happiness last year. 

DND is always a fun time, especially because of pretty dice

I did try to get back into blogging but life truly took so so many turns last year and I managed to get a few blog posts off (including making two new blogs, hello my Dhivehi blog and card blog!) and I like that this blog will always be a place I can come and write my heart out. 

Due to the restrictions and safety measures, lots of birthdays were celebrated virtually but we had so much fun, playing new games and reading more community cards and having a blast. I love birthdays so much!

My very perry the platypus themed birthday party by my friends!

BTS cakesicles I ordered for Lam, made by Faathy

A very hearty ramadan roadhaveelun with my book club members. 

Absolutely love this spread made by my cousins, love the cake by Celebakeshions

Not a lot of food adventures last year either (blame the pandemic and also my obsession with a few places so going back there again and again) but there were a few notable places that became favs and some recurring ones. 

For a while I was obsessed with Cheese Tea from Nosh.

Honestly, I'm more of a TV show girl than movies. I'd be like, that movie is 1.5 hours long? and then watch 2 kdrama episodes that are 2 hours long, I make no sense sometimes ahaha. We did watch a few movies, but nothing noteworthy enough it was just a good time. 

There were 3 main trips last year (and one of them was my "honeymoon"? during a lockdown when we were literally stuck in our hotel room overlooking a sea we couldn't even go to, sigh) and it's very less but ah these are trying times we are living in. During the last few months, there was a friend trip which was so fun, finally some moodhu, and Al and I spend a cozy weekend in Huraa that was so lovely. I do hope we get to travel more this year. 

Huraa's kulhi is so gorgeous!

In the middle of such a chaotic year, I had a big job change in my day job which is going very well, I love the people and the place so muc  h. I'm going to miss it when I have to leave. I also got offered a new teaching job at a new college which came out of nowhere but it was a ncie experience, getting to expand my evergrowing cv and adding another job to it, ahaha. 

The highlight of my year ofcourse, was that Al and I tied the knot! It was so bittersweet because we had to get it done rushes during a lockdown so we had a proper zoom wedding so we couldn't have all our friends and family with us, which sucked but on the bright side it was such a lovely day and I am so so grateful and humbled to start a new chapter of this life with someone I care so much about. 

The gorgeous amethyst ring that is mine!

In home wedding shoot that's bookish.

My favourite photo of the wedding, shot by Shuu. 

The year had so many bad news and uncertainity but it also had a lot of love and happy moments so I am grateful to be able to live another year, and look forward to more.