A walk in Chiberia..

Alright, time to get started with this post. This post has been in the wings for over a week now. The Chicago river has begun unfreezing, hinting it's about time I came out with this post!

I spent the last 5 minutes reading up about Polar Vortex, coz, well... that's what we experienced in Chicago a week back! After reading and re-reading the first line on Polar Vortex in wikipedia, I conclude - I don't understand and I probably don't give a crap! This is going to be about my first hand experience in the great white land (Oh wait! Isn't that Canada? Well.. I don't care! Do you?). After all that's the very reason why I decided to pull off  a death defying stunt? Normally, the stunt is called "walking" but when you decide to bundle yourself up and walk in -26C it sort of becomes death defying. Don't you think?

It all started in last week of December. Chilling in Seattle, fiddling with my phone and what do I see? Weather forecast for Chicago! I am still trying to make sense of the conversion between Celsius and Fahrenheit. So when I see -15 on my screen I need to be very certain before I feel uncomfortable. What???, you ask. Well, my friends, this is my second winter in Chicago. So -15C is 5F and anything that's above 0F is.. let's say, bearable? I mean come on, you are not gonna lose your toes! Well.. unless of course you aren't warmly dressed/ don't take unnecessary walks/ stay indoors as much as you can etc etc.. you know - bottom line your toes are YOUR responsibility. Take care! Now, where were we?

OK, -15. My eyes drop to the bottom of the screen. Oh ya baby, it read F. Alarm bells were about to ring. Re-read, brain instructed. -15 F is freaken insane! It hasn't been that cold in over 2 decades! It's still F. F for, you ask? FREAKEN UNIMAGINABLY COLD! My heart silently wept and body threatened to give up a week in advance! This can't be happening to me!

A week later, all weather websites issue red alert on 01/06/2014. Hypothermia and frost bite warnings (you thought I was kidding about losing fingers?) A chill of excitement runs down my spine. I GOTTA EXPERIENCE THIS FIRST HAND! I got to write about this epic day and I can't write unless I have the first hand experience now, can I?

I wake up at 9:00 am. My eyes open to a sunny day, a VERY sunny day. Damn it! My office folks let me work from home coz of the weather! It can't possibly be -26C outside! The weather guys got it so wrong! It's already 9:00, by the time I get to work it'll be noon! Hang on, my groggy brain says. I check the weather. Viola! -26C it is. Yes people, sun in Chicago has no relevance what so ever to the temperature. It rains while its sunny, you freeze but its sunny. So as you see, sun is just a piece of decorative light!

Usually I dress based on the little people I see from the 34th floor view I get from my window. That day, I see 2 people through out the day. Thinking about it, I am pretty sure it was the same person walking around!

It's time for my evening walk. I gather my cavalry and gear up - a pair of thermals, heavy duty sweater, down jacket, 2 pair of socks, 2 pair of gloves, head band to cover ears, muffler, woolen cap to top it up. I might as well be at war with a polar bear!

I step out and think - this is not that cold! I am not sure if that thought ever reached completion or a gush of cold wind stopped that action from happening. My nasal hair stood in attention, respecting the super low temperature. I am pretty sure they were frozen for a bit until I decided to cover my nose, which was now alarmingly pink in color! There I stood, midst all the snow, with only two dark eyes staring at the world. As I walked from one shop to other, I lost counts on how many times the wind effectively changed my course!

The call to go back home was taken when my eyebrows hurt like they were being pierced from inside. (ya people, that happens, I swear on myself!) As I looked into the mirror on returning, I see a pink face staring back at me. Not the kinda pink one would like on their face, but hey, I didn't have a say on this!

Now most of you may think, this was completely uncalled for. But you haven't completely experienced Chicago unless you have experienced its winter! This may as well be my most adventurous walk EVER!

This was my coldest night in Chicago and hopefully the coldest night ever! The first time in 20 years the temperature dipped that low and when it did - I WAS THERE!

P.S: Good work on "Chiberia" TOI. You'll always be the most entertaining paper ever!

Well.. Hello 2014!!!

The day began like any other normal day. But how can there be anything normal about 31st December! This represents a day when people retrospect every breath they have taken in the past year. Suddenly one feels -  its already that time of the year??? Their heart begins to swell with the burdens of unaccomplished dreams while their mind fills itself with resolutions for the new year. "You will lose weight", it says while the swollen heart hides a smirk!

A lot of thoughts floated in my head. A major part of me wanted this year to end. No one has any control over the past. What's done is done. You can look back at life with grief or fond memories. End of the day, its not gonna matter! I guess that's the main reason I look forward to the new year. I still have the power to make it matter. One more year to live my life, one more year to fly high, one more year till its the next year!

Walking on the Elliot trail in Seattle, I thought back about how 2013 unfolded itself to me. All the while, I wanted it to end. I wanted a new start. I wanted a blank slate. Suddenly a lot of memories filled me. I wasn't thinking about my bad knee, sore throat or the numerous health problems that raised their dirty heads in my life in the past year.

As I walked the port of Seattle, I knew my life had shaped exactly how I dreamed it would. New cities, new people, new cultures, new experiences - NEW EVERYTHING! From Texas Rodeo to White House, high energy of Gatlinburg to serenity of Seattle, simplicity of the Amish to craziness of SFO, hurricane at Niagara to the filling yet emptiness of the Pacific Ocean, drop dead beauty of Big Sur , hip hop hikes of Indiana, street dancing at Greek festival - phew. And I am just getting started!

It's been over a year since I moved out to explore the world on my own. I feel successful. I feel liberated. A big chunk of the credit goes to the wonderful people I am lucky to have in my life. One crack pot just entered my room wanting to read my thoughts this late in the night. Weird, you say? Blessed, I say! Memories and experiences are the most precious gifts one would ever have. People form a very important part of both. Fill your life with people you love, life would love you back ten fold.  You can never have enough of goodness in your life! I reiterate this at every given opportunity, I love you guys!

As I look 2014 in the eye, I know it's gonna be one hell of a ride. A lot of uncertainties, a lot of opportunities and a lot of travel! My throbbing feet feel like they have walked a hundred miles today. But I know they are eager to run towards 2014, a year where personal accomplishments out shine the rest, a year which would mark a new life ahead, a year which would raise the bar for years to come, a year where my new dreams begin. Welcome 2014.