Amazed and Grateful

Sitting by my window, gazing at the dark gray winter sky, nostalgia sips in as I ponder on the year went by. It is still a few days to go before 2022 ends. Yet it feels like ages ago that I welcomed this year with lots of hope, happiness, good health, and travel. And what a year it has been! Right from meeting friends and family to exploring new places to getting out of Covid (with recent news, this looks gloomy again, but hope for the best). A year full of adventures, surprises, little bundles of joy, and some not-so-pleasant moments at times.

It will take me ages and pages to summarize the year gone by but saying it in two words would be amazed and grateful. Amazed at all the opportunities and new learnings that fed my curious mind and grateful for the support, love, and care received from everyone. Throughout the year, you, my reader, accompanied me in my thoughts, feelings, and adventures. Without your kind wishes, patience, and support, I wouldn't have done half the things or lived the moments so well.

Glancing through all the blogs from this year, starting from 'Do we care' to the most recent 'Αθήνα' am amazed at how much I could write and bring to you, and yet there is a lot more that I could have expressed better. You kept my company through all these blogs allowing me to learn, grow, and even make mistakes only to learn from them. Never in my dreams had I thought of connecting with you through some of the best pictures I took during my travel, narrating scenes and incidents I witnessed this year. There were days when I was bored, lazy, and tired to put pen to paper and paper to the blog site. Days when I was hesitant to be honest yet mindful of everyone's feelings before writing. Days when I struggled to put the facts and figures in as simple words as I could. But all the way, your motivation, appreciation, and eagerness helped me to pen them.

I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your busy days to read these blogs and send a note of feedback, appreciation, or just a thumbs up. It made my day and motivated me to write better next time. I would also like to thank all those who helped me plan my trips better to make memories and bring them to you. These were pure bliss, like dreams come true. And your support made them more special as I can now relive those moments through these blogs.

I wish the new year brings more hope, happiness, and good health to all.

We have already been through some of the most challenging times of the century. From Covid-19 and the Ukraine war to economic recession now. There will be many more challenges on the way, but our kindness, empathy, and determination to overcome them will sail us through. And even before we realize it, we will wave goodbye to the new year. Till then, I hope we cherish each other's company and enjoy the coming year as best we can.

See you soon on the other side of the calendar!

Thank you for reading this far. Here is a small gift of a few cherished pictures of this year.