Best Moments of 2018 in Pictures

2018 has been a roller coaster of a year! It?s been a year of highs, lows and a year of growth, self-care and realisations.  At 29, I can truly say, that this is the year in all my 20s that I grew as a person. Also, I acknowledge that as a person, I?m always looking forward to the next best thing and often forget to take a minute and appreciate all the positive things that have occurred already.

So, here are my favourite moments of 2018.

1.Spontaneous Trip to a Games Arcade in the Middle of Nowhere

One of our closest couple friends decided to move back home, so we all took a weekend staycation together before they left Dubai. This arcade was in the middle of nowhere on the road trip back from the resort. It was spontaneous and fun and we all let the little children in us play to their hearts content! Also, I was crowned the undefeated champion of air hockey! It was the most fun afternoon in the entire year!

2. Backstreet Boys Concert

Growing up in the 90s, all I ever wanted was to go to a Backstreet Boys concert! Since they dint come to Bombay, the chances that I?d ever see them were close to none. I had made my peace with this fact, when in early in Feb I heard on the radio that they were coming to Dubai. I wept in joy like a Belieber and bought the tickets immediately.

The actual concert was amazing! The same 90s with synchronized boy band dancing and everything!

3. Flying in to NYC

This was another lifelong (or half-life long) dream of sorts! I had wanted to visit New York City at least for the past 15 years. The 14-year-old me had imagined the moment I would see NYC for the very first time down to every last detail ? with a background music and everything, just like a movie.

So when the actual moment came, I played 14-year-old Deepti?s favourite You Set Me Free by Michelle Branch and stuck my head at the window in awe as a faint skyline of NYC appeared. Again, I sat there silently as tears of happiness were rolling down my cheek. I can?t explain that moment any other way, except I felt pure and utter happiness.

4. Discovering NYC on my own and myself in NYC

I arrived a few days before my husband in NYC, and those first few days was when I truly discovered NYC. I walked all over the city on my own, found new coffee shops, made new friends, took endless pictures of the city that I hope will over time become large installations of art in my house.

This time also gave me a great sense of self-realization, actualisation and a new perspective to life. I had never really felt growth like I did during this time. This picture of the coffee cup was the exact moment I had the life epiphany that were I am currently in life is a great place to be and I should be thankful for it rather than looking at the negatives. 

5. Visiting the Friends building

So as above, the NYC trip had a theme of bucket lists and dreams. I grew up watching Friends and this moment was one of my favourites in 2018!

6. Re-connecting with my best-friend from college

One of my best friends from college and I just lost touch after we graduated. It was a gradual thing, but eventually it ended up being a friendship where we exchanged a couple of polite whatsapp messages to each other, each year. However, it all changed when she came to visit me in NYC all the way from DC!

I met her at a time, when I was going through a change and her return in my life brought me happiness more than she can probably ever imagine!

7. Moving House

Over the past 5 years, I have moved a few times in Dubai, but our current home is by far my favourite of all time. It is warm and cozy and feels more like home than any other place. Also, I took my time decorating it, to make it as homey as I could.

8. Making a new Friend

Someone once told me said that we don?t really make real friends after leaving college. All friends that come after are acquaintances and social friends? people we do fun stuff with, but they don?t really make the cut to be included in our inner circle. I sort of agreed with this until I made a real friend this year.

9. Colour Run

I had been wanting to do the Color Run for many years, but out of sheer laziness I never registered. This November, I not only registered, but also motivated my friends and my personal trainer to do the run. Was one of the best and most colourful mornings of 2018!

10. Kayaking in Hatta

This trip was probably one of my favourite days of 2018. My friend had invited me to a picnic by the lake in Hatta with a few friends. Only when we got there however, I realized that she actually meant going kayaking in the lake. This was a miscommunication as, while she thought I understood that it was a kayaking trip, I thought it was a picnic by the lake.

To make it worse, we were an odd number of people, which meant one person would have to go alone. I was terrified of idea of kayaking in the lake (I dint know how to kayak and I?m not a good swimmer, hence afraid of water), yet decided that I would get in the solo kayak and go all around the lake. I?m glad I did because by the end of it, I almost dint want to come out of the water! I was having so much fun and got over my fear of kayaking, water and doing things alone.

11. My Parents Trip to Dubai

This is like saving the best for last! My parents visited me last week and it was the best family time I have had in years! Was truly the best week of the year!