2024 - the year life evolved

 

When we made a trip to Arizona to spend a few days in Monument valley and Canyon de Chelly in March 2024, we loved the experience but did not anticipate that we would be coming back for two more trips to Arizona this year.

Watching the first pink glow of morning sunrise hitting Needles - the sandstone spires in Monument valley-  as our Navajo guide regaled us with beautiful myths and stories of the indigenous culture that have carried forward for generations through word of mouth, was a very different experience than we usually have in our National Park trips.
The guided jeep tour through the floors of Canyon de Chelly with the towering canyon walls, wild horses, very adventurous water crossings as our articulate and knowledgeable Navajo guide narrated the wonderful Navajo settlement history in these canyons, the history of invasion by Spanish and the ‘White man’ (as he put it), petroglyphs and the ruins of Navajo settlements was so enlightening. 

Shortly after, we learnt that our son and his fiancé would be moving to Arizona. One of the most memorable days of 2024 was in May, when they got engaged in a beautiful Seattle park with their friends and families from both sides being present. It was a joy to be a part of the low key but heartwarming ceremony, opening up new possibilities and a growing family.

This is the year when our roles as parents evolved, to one of supporting without interference and sharing the joys and trials of our newly engaged son and his fiancé. This is a learning process and many times I have made mistakes and learnt to step back and let them take the lead in small or big decisions that involve their lives . 

With apprehension, joy and pride, we have enjoyed seeing them set up their new home and lives in Arizona as they started a new degree and a new job. All while taking care and keeping things normal and happy for their dear dog during the transition.

We made a three day cross country trip from Seattle to Arizona in August helping them move, making overnight stops at Idaho and Utah on the way. The 3000 mile road trip with two loaded cars, four adults and a dog was thrilling, at times frustrating or unnerving but ended well because of the patience all of us were able to maintain and the meticulous planning the two younger adults had done.

The last week of June in Paris was full of joy and so much fun as Ponti, Natalie and I made a trip to meet my sister, brother in law and nephew who flew in from Switzerland. The absolute pleasure of exploring a city like Paris with my sister was like a dream come true for the two sisters who come from a middle class Bengali family and had never imagined growing up that our lives would shape in this way. This was also the first time my extended family met Natalie, and we all had the time of our lives as everyone got to know each other while gaping at the paintings of  Musee d'Orsay or the opulence of the Palace of Versailles, walking along the Seine, enjoying impeccable French cuisine in a Michelin Star restaurant with a SriLankan chef, or taking the train for a day trip to Monet’s garden in Giverny. 

The trip to Paris and London, followed by the trip to Iceland in late August, inspired me to start watercolor travel journaling as a hobby, in small 5 by 8 inch notebooks. I started knowing nothing about the process, and gradually learnt how to make the notes and art flow well together and merge, not to complicate the sketches and still tell the story. I remember getting a few free hours in a hotel room in Hofn, Iceland and getting motivated to capture the incredible beauty of the country through my brushes and watercolors. These are small and quick studies of landscapes or cityscapes with a few lines, a wonderful way to reconnect to the moment years later.

As I have mentioned in my previous year-end blogs, a way I look back at any year always includes the books I read, and which ones will stay with me in the years to come. For 2024, that book will definitely be the epic read ‘The Covenant of Water’ by Dr. Abraham Verghese - a saga on the Kerala backwaters, generational secrets, the cuisine, the maladies, the evolution of arts, politics and society over a span of seventy years. 

I also had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Nicole Chung, author of ‘All You Can Ever Know’ - a book on multiracial adoption in a book launch event.

In November, it was an absolute treat to listen to Dr. Thomas Bancroft presenting 'Beyond the Wonder: An Ecologist’s View of Wild Alaska' at Third Place books. His conversation about his bear encounters in Katmai, the human impacts on the environment and conservation efforts were fascinating.

2024 also brought in some health setbacks for me, as I got diagnosed with significant calcium deposits in my artery, leading to the addition of a new set of prescription medications. This development was not unexpected given my family medical history, but it came as a shock to me and I took some time to adjust to the new reality. Did this diagnosis prompt me to start the process of designating beneficiaries for all my accounts or join a yoga class? The answer to that is complicated, but as we spend the last few weeks of 2024 embracing warmth and laziness, watching magenta desert sunsets at Saguaro National Park with our companion Iggy, savoring southwestern cuisine, life seems simple and 2025 looks hopeful.