Exhausted. Excited. Exhausted is how I felt as 2024 crept towards its end. And excited is the feeling that slowly took over me as we crossed over from December to January. But it would be safe to say that these two emotions alternated all through 2024 for me. And if I had to pick a few other words to define this year, they would undoubtedly be ‘Change’ and ‘New.’
SO – 2024: A whirlwind year, in a good way, where it often felt like there was no time to pause and catch my breath—even during my holiday! The year began with cautious excitement as I had been informed about my relocation from Almaty to Istanbul. Cautious because it was still not on paper. But within a couple of months, the arrangement was formalized, kicking off the relentless cycle of packing, moving, shifting, unpacking, and settling.
As if that was not enough, Kapil and I also decided to move into our larger house back home in India. So, while we were relocating internationally, we were simultaneously moving houses within India—and to top it off, there was some house renovation thrown into the mix! (Anyone who’s been through renovations knows how exhausting they are, and those who’ve done it in India can attest to the extra layer of craziness our vendors and laborers bring to the process!)
Not to mention change on the work front where I was beginning to work on some new projects on new themes (completely new themes let us say) – so along with getting to know new colleagues, I was also busy learning new concepts from scratch! (This is what I really love about my workplace – the ability to keep learning!)
Anyhow, I think this gives you the broad picture of the year – so let us dive in!!
It All Began with an Earthquake!!
Funny as it sounds, the year began with an earthquake—a real one! After years in Almaty with barely any tremor, this one shook me awake in the middle of a freezing January night. The chandelier swayed, and we scrambled to the door, bracing for more. The tremor lasted long enough to leave me queasy, and it seemed like half of Almaty spilled out onto the streets, driving around for hours in the cold until they felt safe enough to return home. Why mention this? Well, it kind of set the tone for the seismic shifts that followed in my life throughout the year!
Packing up five years
It is incredible how much we can collect (amass) in just 5 years! And this, when the house we rented was already furnished! And it is not the big stuff, it is the endless little things that are really hard to sort, pack and or/throw away. The big stuff was packed in under two hours by a team of super-efficient movers who wrapped and ripped (scotch tape) and magically made all my stuff disappear into boxes in a jiffy, leaving me breathless!
But the little stuff – that is something else! There, is a memory attached to almost everything. And then of course sentimental people like me get completely distracted while sorting, drifting away into memories!
Kids’ stuff is a category of its own! Oh my god, the TOYS! Of course, every forgotten toy and broken toy is suddenly a favourite and essential and cannot be given away. I was still sorting through the chaos on the LAST day and eventually surrendered, leaving a pile behind with a sheepish plea to my very kind landlord to handle it.
By the end, I was packing until the night before my flight, with only a couple of hours of sleep before dragging 4 suitcases and 2 bulging hand bags to the airport. All the family had already left and thank god for my loyal help Shireen who helped with the last bit of packing – cramming every last bit possible into my suitcases!
Finally, it was bliss when I got into the plane – and passed out. Literally had to be shaken awake when I landed 6 hours later in Istanbul!
But the marathon doesn’t end!!
I stayed in Istanbul for a day – left my stuff and promptly left for India for my summer vacation. But no, this vacation was not a ‘vacation’ – this was hard work. Because this time I landed bang in the middle of a massive home renovation that was running behind schedule. And because I had just one month of leave, there was no way we could afford a delay because we had to move in before we left! So my days started with getting dressed up and going to our new house, sitting all day, heckling all the contractors (painters, civil work, plumbers, electricians and so on) and trying to get the work done. Poor Kapil had done all the heavy lifting till now – designing the renovations, finding the right people, products, wall papers and his mum had been overseeing the work, so now it was my turn 😊
Luckily the work that people predicted will take months did finish on time and we were able to do our pooja and invite family over. And I got a couple of nights of sleep in our house 😊. Broke my heart as I left for Istanbul early August – but such is the life we have chosen for ourselves – pieces of our hearts scattered across multiple countries! Now I am looking forward to spending summer of 2025 in the new house!
And then Istanbul!
And here begins the second half of the year – a new city, new colleagues, new friends, new projects and lots of travel. It was both thrilling and exhausting to start from scratch in a new city — especially since I had moved alone and had to get everything in place before my family arrived in the next couple of weeks.
BUT, nothing really turned out as expected and let me leave it here …. Because that warrants a blog post of its own! Suffice to say that by the end of the year, things were much more in control, and I feel fairly settled now!
Credit: Getty Images
Family time!
This year scored high on family time. Like previous years, my sister and her family visited Almaty in early summer, but this time felt extra special as we prepared to say our goodbyes. (Of course, it’s a completely different story that we all found ourselves back in Almaty again by early December—because, clearly, we weren’t done with the city and just had to see it one last time!) We also reunited later when we moved into our new house, which made it all the more memorable! But they were sorely missed on New Year’s though we look forward to hosting them in Istanbul in the next couple of moths!!
Beyond that, 2024 saw us reuniting with Kapil’s brother and family who moved back to India and it was great meeting them after many years! Abeer met his same aged cousin for the first time (meeting as babies does not count) and it was delightful to see them bond immediately. We also attended a big fat Indian wedding that connected us with a lot of extended relatives – meeting some people for the first time. It was great to see our kids find and connect with new cousins.
And finally, Me time!!
2024 was busy, but I did manage to take time out for myself, continue doing what I love, added new interests and focused a bit more on health. Of course some things didn’t go as planned, and I slipped up on some others but on the whole, the year ended on a happy and hopeful note.
I had started the year determined to focus on my health – lose a couple of KGs and improve some parameters (in 2023 my results weren’t great). By making some small changes I was indeed able to lose some weight, but more importantly my health check up came much better than before and that left me with some good cheer. Despite slipping up completely on my yoga, I was happy that I was more or less able to maintain the lower weight.
I also managed to blog more, as I was hoping at the beginning of 2024 and managed to host the 3rd edition of the IDPD disability inclusion blog hop. I was joined by 30+ writers and the output was simply wonderful. One of the participants suggested collating it all in a book – so who knows this is something that I might take up this year! Which brings me to the other book I had started writing in 2023 – unfortunately, that is still cold – hopefully I will be able to pick up on that too soon.
Finally work has been rewarding – I love to explore new themes and this year has been just that. Learning some completely new concepts and hoping to implement them this year have given me a great high – so yes 2025 seems VERY exciting!!
Let me just end with the two words that I am hoping will define 2025 for me – growth and progress – of ‘self’ and professionally.
Wishing you a great 2025!!
“This post is a part of ‘Celebrate and Reflect Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters”
This post was created for the Blogaberry Creative January Challenge with theme word NEW.
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
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Thanks for reading this post. Please like, comment and share!
Regards, Sakshi aka tripleamommy
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I know how strenuous a house-shift can be. I lived in rented houses during my 15-year stay in Shillong. So many changes. I was reminded of the agony as I read your post.
Best wishes for the New Year.
Your 2024 seemed hectic but interestingly busy. I loved reading aboit your activities and kudos to you to manage most of the life complexities yourself.
Gosh! Where do you get all your energy from Sakshi? And Istanbul is my dream city, I don’t know why! I’ve never been there and yet love it. Good luck to you; wishing you a new year that helps your settle and find happiness in your new home/s.
Come visit! I think I run on adrenaline half the time!
Sakshi, you are really superwoman. Shifting, organising, hosting and writing everything you did is tremendous. Istanbul I saw this only in Tiger movie. But loved to visit at least once in a life time. All the best for your new journey over there.
Wow you surely embraced many things new! Hats of to you for shifting, renovating and writing, altogether and hosting! Congratulations! May 2025 bring you what gives you peace.
Congratulations on packing so much into a year, Sakshi! Having been an Army brat, and later wife, I know how much energy goes in packing and shifting. Add a new job and responsibilities to that and it becomes even more strenuous. Hope 2025 is an amazing year for you!
Hats off to your energy level only a few like you can have such stamina. In my whole life as a family I shifted only 5 times, once before marraige rest after marraife and I am super tired already. My hugs to you… Kis mitti sa bane ho ap Shakshi… Much love and hugs to you
Wow, is it fair if I say I’m exhausted reading your post. Shifting homes is no easy feat, albiet in another country I’m guessing it must be even worse, considering the language (communication) problem. But you got me hooked with ‘Almaty’ and ‘Istanbul’, both high on my bucketlist, the latter thanks to the Turkish dramas I binge watch on. Hope 2025 keeps you all rooted and settled.
New people, new place, new work, new colleagues, and you managed it all so well. Kudos, an achievement in itself. Wish you a happy 2025!
That’s one helluva year! So much movement, I have been to Istanbul once and found it great. Wish to see Almaty and Istanbul again. All the best for 2025.
Uff. just reading your post made me realise what a hectic year you had. Re-locating and moving, is not for the faint-hearted, and home renovations in India to tauba-tauba!
I hope you have an amazing 2025 and do tick off your goals!
That’s a LOT to pack into one year and girl, you managed it all with elan! I don’t do well with change and so much if it at once couldn’t have been easy. Hope 2025 is more calmer, yet exciting, and let’s you enjoy your new homes with your family.
This sounded more hectic and rough for you. I wish you get more time for yourself this year
Wow you have had quite an eventful year. Reading it brought back tons of emotions for me cause it’s been a year of too many events for me one of which includes shifting to a new home in a foreign land. Packing till the end.. I hear you!
I hope 2025 is an easy going year for you, calm and happy both. Best wishes to you strong Mumma!
Wow… So much has happened this year in your life – like you said, quite exhausting. We did renovations to our home last year, too, and it’s been such a hassle!
Anyway, I hope this new year will be a little relaxing for you.
You managed the move and resultant stresses so well. Loved reading this. I too moved homes and after ten years had a terrible time
You had quite an year! I know how tiring it can be too move houses, having done it throughout my childhood but your post gave me a new perspective from what I put my parents through. I was definitely the type that suddenly found each toy to be valuable! It’s great you still found the opportunity to have some me time. Very important. Have a great year ahead ~
Hats off to your never-give-up attitude. I admire how you put effort into all the things alongside taking care of your family. I wish you a great year ahead.
I felt like I was living your year with you! Your energy, honesty, and balance between challenges and joys are inspiring. I admire how you embraced change and prioritized family, work, and self-care. It’s motivating to see someone turn a whirlwind year into growth. Wishing you a thriving 2025!
quite a tumultous but also a happy year. Gaining so many experiences through so many ventures. here’s to a more beautiful 2025.
What a whirlwind year, Sakshi. Looking forward to that book more than anything else 😀
I’m all about moving, changing, and embracing the new vibe this year. I love Turkey, I am manifesting a trip soon.
Quite an eventful year for you, 2024! 2025 looks like this for me. Though less dramatic with almost zero chance of any ground shaking thrills, (being in Pune) and no chance of relocating in different country, I will be moving house in mid ’25.
Wow, what a year! 2024 was a whirlwind of change, challenges, and new beginnings, but you embraced it all so beautifully. Loved how you captured the chaos of moving, the joy of family reunions, and the little wins along the way. Here’s to growth, progress, and even more memorable adventures in 2025!
This piece is so raw and full of life! The chaos, the exhaustion, the excitement—it all comes through beautifully. Loved the humor, warmth, and personal reflections. What a whirlwind of a year!
What a tumultuous year you have been through. You should take a break and just smell the roses.
Ha ha no break for me, but 2025 will have an easier pace hopefully😊 and many opportunities for smelling the roses.
Ah, being in the Fauj, we have to move around every two to three years. So, I feel you 🙂 And what a chaotic year you have had. But it was also fun, isn’t it! May 2025 be brighter and happier for you.
Whirlwind is what comes to mind when I read your blog! And you in the eye of the storm as the water swirls around you. But I also see what this whirlwind is not harmful. It brings you happiness, excitement. It feels like a part of you that you cannot do without. May you live life at your terms, always!
International shifting, moving houses, and renovation, that sounds too much work. Glad to know you also managed to get some ‘me time’, hats off!!!! You are an inspiration!
I love how you balanced the hard parts with the good parts , taking the strenuous and extremely stressful house moving in your stride, finding time to be with family. This comes from years of training yourself! Pat on the back for you and Hope you have a good 2025 !
I suck at packing and shifting. I crave stability all the time! Thank you for taking us on your journey!
Wow, what a year! I can totally relate to the mix of exhaustion and excitement. Moving, new projects, and personal growth all at once is a lot, but it sounds like you’re embracing it all beautifully. Here’s to growth and progress in 2025!
Wow, Sakshi, your energy is incredible! Moving internationally, renovating, and starting new projects—how did you manage it all? I can totally relate to that mix of excitement and exhaustion. Glad to read that you took out “me” time also .. hats off 👏 to you. I always tell my husband that I want to visit Istanbul once.. . Let see when this will happen.
Moving to Istanbul, chores home shifting. Good that you got your me time. The IDPD blog hop I will join next year. Was caught up with many things.
Kudos to you about how you managed all these things. Love reading about your experiences
I’ve never moved countries, but even shifting apartments drained me! I can only imagine the chaos of packing up five years of memories.
I’m reading this post much after it was written – I wonder how 2025 is going compared to the action-packed 2024 you had!
2025 has been more about settling in 😊. New office, new projects, new city.