Merlins World: June 2013

Pic: Panaromic view from the balcony of my new apartment. Taken June 2013 by me.

Change. It has been the underlying theme in my blog. If you have cared to follow it since it's beginning. Which, if you are reading this post, I am sure you haven't. Because just like most things in my life, my followers also...well.... change. And I am not just talking about the blog.

Someone recently asked me what I blog about. And it seemed a bit narcissistic when I said "Me". But as bad as it may sound, it is true, I blog about me. To quote an ex-friend, if I was a reader of my blog instead of the author, I would never have read me. But thankfully I am the author, so I am bereft of the torture you have to go through.

Amidst all the massive change that continues to hit me and knock me off my feet, I am still living life to the fullest. Still believing in what I said two posts back "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone". Living by that philosophy every minute of every day for the last few months. I am sure you too are often met by the greeting "What's new?". I am sure that most of you don't have much to answer to that. Well, one of the luxuries of my life is that I can almost spend a day elaborating on that one answer. New job, new boss, new office, new clients, new field of work, new role, new reportees... new laptop, new phone, new visiting card and a new suit... new apartment, new furniture, new friends, new social life, new gym, new irregular workout schedule. So never.. never ask Merlin what is new, unless you want to spend the rest of the day listening to his answer!

Life has been a bit centered around the job. With the new job I stopped working my regular 10 to 5 which had gotten kinda boring, almost close to the dreaded comfort zone, and started working 8 to 12... 12am by the way. I was leading the largest deal I have ever worked on, in a new company, in a new domain with a new client. Which is as far from your comfort zone as you can get. But that is where I derive my kicks in life, I am weird that way. If I win this one, I would have hopefully established my presence in the new firm. And would have proven myself to... well... myself. Which for me is the most important thing right now.

Life has also been centered around getting the newly acquired Stockholm apartment furnished in the right way. It is the on the 9th floor with a breathtaking view, it would be a crime not to furnish it nicely. In Sweden, one has to assemble all the furniture oneself, which, if you think of it as a jigsaw puzzle, might seem fun if it was not your own furniture. Some pictures of the progress below... although a lot of work still needs to get done.

Thankfully for me, some things do not change. My thirst for traveling is as how it has always been, albeit a bit ignored due to the changes. I shall keep my promise of sticking to the reduced run rate of exploring at least one new country every year. Hence booked a weekend getaway to Vienna, I am hoping it will help me unwind. Parents will be here in July, I somehow feel this gushing happy feeling that they manage to make a trip to Sweden almost every year, I am not sure if I would do that for my kid living in some far off godforsaken country above the arctic circle (if I was in good-old-India). That is why the whole concept of having kids and sacrificing so much for them still eludes me. I guess you gotta do it to feel it.

Amongst the other things that have changed, are also some parts of my life I would rather not had change. But then, you win some, you lose some. And I do believe all the cliché stuff that whatever happens, happens for the best. So I guess I will survive. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Darn... I am slowly becoming Mr. Cliché wimp. Okay, okay I will stop now. Like every time I write a post which sees the light of day, I am promising in my mind that I will write more often. Maybe that is another "change" that is coming your way! :)