Tag: 2020

Best of 2020

2020 has been a strange year, but here are some of the things that happened.

1. Starting the year with family:

I love spending time with my grandparents. I’m glad I got to do it in the beginning of this year, even if I couldn’t make my annual summer trip to India 😭. I also got to spend some time with my uncle and aunt, before they moved countries.

2. Ending my elementary years and staring my middle school ones:


I finished 5th grade (virtually) and started middle school and the school of my choice (also virtually)! Virtual school is less than ideal, but I’ve learned to adjust. You can read about my experiences here.

3. ARCADIS Science Fair:


I participated in the ARCADIS science fair and did a project on supercooling and snapfreezing water. I learnt a lot and was really surprised when I won!

4. Mini Getaways:


Since we couldn’t travel a lot, I relied on a few small breaks to get away . My favorite one was definitely my birthday weekend getaway with a few of my friends and family. I also liked the Corpus Christi, Driftwood, and Pensacola Beach breaks.

5. Dance:


I spent a lot of time focusing on dance during these COVID times. I’ve taken place in a Bharatanatyam dance exam (for both theory and practical) and started learning a new Indian classical dance form, Mohiniattam. I performed a few solo items and recorded them. I’ve also began to learn Carnatic music to support my skills.

In Western dance, I was able to get one last performance on February in my elementary school dance company and I’m in my new school’s Drill Team. It’s less than ideal, but I’m hoping to be able to go back to performing soon.

6. Life Skills:


2020 has been a year where I learnt and tried so many new things.

  • I learned to crochet, and did a few art projects including tie-dye projects and wreaths for our door.
  • I cooked and baked (I even made my first layered cake!) and got comfortable in the kitchen. Some of the treats I made include mint chutney bread, cranberry cookies, brownies, and more. I also learned to make rice and keera kootu.
  • I’ve learned a lot of handy household chores like doing the laundry and handwashing clothes as well as ironing and sweeping.
7. Improved Technology Skills:

I started to use Instagram and I wrote on my blog more. I got better at using Google Drive, Docs, and Slides. I’ve learnt about different features on computers and got better at navigating through the digital world.

8. Writing:

I wrote 2 stories (which I’m going to edit this year) and a few short stories for my blog.

9. Reading:

I’ve read a ton this year and made friends with a few bookstagrammers. On my instagram, I took part in two challenges, the #mgbookmarch challenge in March and the #mgbooktober challenge in October. I’ve also started new series, and began to read a higher level of mglit!

(If you’re not following me yet, you totally should)

You can check out my insta here.

Goodbye 2020

The sun sets, marking the end of 2020
Starting a new year


The sandpiper runs
Towards a brand new year,
or away from a horrible, disaster filled 2020?
Or is it just looking for food?

I run
Laughing and playing with my family, carefree
But also cold,
and hoping the new year will soon come

Happiness runs
With all of us, making its way to the finish line,
the start of 2021
We will find it on January 1st among the ordinary things.

The sun sets with all of us running,
and it will rise to a new year
Another 365 days, before the next year
Let’s use these days wisely

My 2020 NaNoWriMo Experience

This year, I decided to try something new. During November (National Novel Writing Month), I wrote a story, or at least part of a story everyday. It was hard sometimes, but I had a great time working on it.

Usually, most writers aim to write around 1,500 words a day, but I decided to do a mini experience with 300 words per day.

Here are some NaNoWriMo experiences.

Lazy Days:

Some days, I had absolutely no idea what to write about. My advice for those days is to keep pushing on, maybe you’ll get an idea burst.

Idea Bursts:

Idea Bursts are amazing. They basically are a whole cloud of ideas, so that you can write a ton of words for a while without stopping.

No Story Arc:

When I started this experience, I did not have a plan in mind. I started writing without a plot line and just built my story around my previous writing.

Writing the Ending:

One day, I had an (almost) lazy day. That’s when I decided to work on the ending. I couldn’t think of anything of write at the point I was at, so why not try to write an ending? I had a lot of fun with it, and it helped me get unstuck that day.

I have written 11,573 words in total! I am going to edit my story in December, and I will definitely share some more of my experiences then!

5 Things I am Thankful For

2020 has been a strange year. There is the whole COVID-19 pandemic, and small other things that make this year feel like the worst. However, if you take a look at your day to day lives, you’ll see quite a few things which make you grateful for the life you’re living right now. Here are a few parts of my life I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving.

  1. Getting into the middle school I wanted- I was very, very nervous leading up to the middle school selection deadline. One day, my mom announced that I had gotten into the school which I had wanted, and all of my worries vanished. I’m currently attending that middle school and really happy there!
  2. My teachers- My teachers, old and new, were always kind and helpful to me. They have helped me through my struggles and always been there for me. They always incorporate a bit of fun into the learning for a great day.
  3. My friends- even though I can’t meet up with my friends, that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun with them through online chats and video calls. I love hanging out with them and they incorporate a lot of fun into my day!
  4. Books- books are always there for me. I love to pick up a random book and dive into its pages and stay immersed in the story until I have to leave. Books are another fantastical world for me and they are an amazing way to pass the time.
  5. Technology- if not for technology (meaning laptops, phones, computers etc.) then I would not be able to attend my classes, not be able to learn much, and not have a “school” to go to. Because of my laptop and other important devices around me, I can learn, talk to friends, and make new friends. Technology is awesome, just because of that.

Those were some things I am thankful for in this strange year of 2020. What about you? What are you thankful for?

Changing in the Covid Times

Summer 2020 is almost over and I have a few weeks until school starts. I’ve been thinking about how much my life has changed and decided to share it with you!

I’ve had to adapt a lot because of COVID. A lot of the things which I would have liked to do this year are almost impossible now. 

Normally, I would have finished fifth grade off with a few parties and graduated to middle school. I would have also started school earlier, but it got pushed back. So, change has become a part of my everyday life. I am part of my school’s dance team and we would have danced one of our best pieces for a competition. Since the coronavirus limited the number of people able to be there for a performance, we didn’t have the chance to perform. I would have also gone to India for the summer to spend time with my grandparents and have some fun there. This year though, I am communicating with them only through WhatsApp. Change has come and wrapped itself around my everyday life. I have grown to be more flexible during this pandemic.

I am still changing with what will be best for me. A lot of major events in my life have been delayed or made virtual. It’s always a big disappointment for me, but I have learnt to be very flexible during the pandemic. I have always wanted to start middle school with a big bang, but COVID has made that event a lot smaller. I also had plans to go on a cruise to Italy, but that was canceled. I’m also missing travel and school a lot. 

Change has made itself a big part in today’s life.I’ve learnt to adapt and live with it, even when times are rough. I’ve realized that if you don’t change, you miss even more.

How have you changed in 2020?