I’ve always seen my life as a succession of seasons, each teaching me something new and bringing the right people into my life at the right time. Typing these posts on my laptop, I feel like Carrie Bradshaw. I love romanticizing my life by turning each minute occurrence into a profound lesson, aiming to giveContinue reading “I’m Changing (and I Love It): Welcome to Season 3”
Author Archives: Ria Pai
Let’s Get Political
When I first started writing posts for Chocolate and Politics, I will admit I was a little too self-righteous. I remember sitting at my dimly-lit desk, desperate to fill my time and occupy my hands during a phase of isolation, yearning to engage in activities I had once avoided. I also recall brainstorming names forContinue reading “Let’s Get Political”
Learning and Re-Learning: What the Last Year Has Taught Me
Upon entering a new phase of life, I believed I had already learned the majority of lessons I needed to, or at least enough to build a strong moral compass that could guide me through every curveball the next year could throw at me. Growing up with a strong family foundation, I learned early onContinue reading “Learning and Re-Learning: What the Last Year Has Taught Me”
WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD
I wish I could write the way I used to; obsessively, ravenously, writing myself into holes I could only write to get out of. I would write to escape my own reality, but also to face the words I was scared to say aloud. I miss having a space that was only mine, where IContinue reading “WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD”
AN ILLUSION OF LOVE
At times, I look at my generation with awe and pride. I wonder at the way we have learned to harness technology to improve the world. I appreciate the efforts we have made to become more inclusive. I commend the way we have adapted to an ever-changing, competitive professional landscape with more tenacity than everContinue reading “AN ILLUSION OF LOVE”
A FRESH START
For many years of my life, I viewed the New Year with awe and a sense of wanderlust. As the embodiment of a Type-A personality, I dedicated the beginning of each day, week, month, and year to meticulously planning ways to improve my life. I was aware of how it might seem to others—silly, perhaps—toContinue reading “A FRESH START”
HI, I’M DISCIPLINED, NICE TO MEET YOU.
Once upon a time, I took pride in the discipline and willpower I meticulously constructed. I felt proud that I could rise at 5 a.m. to work out before school. I drank black coffee and ate hard-boiled eggs, watching with disregard as others enjoyed pumpkin spice lattes in the fall and buttery scrambled eggs onContinue reading “HI, I’M DISCIPLINED, NICE TO MEET YOU.”
THE PEOPLE WE MEET ARE THE PEOPLE WE LOVE
There are times when, watching someone narrate their life, I am eternally grateful to hear their story. I love learning about the little facets that make up a random stranger; what is hidden behind the curtain they present to the world. I believe that is the most exciting part about making new friends: slowly watchingContinue reading “THE PEOPLE WE MEET ARE THE PEOPLE WE LOVE”
WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE
A year and a half ago, I wrote a blog post titled ‘What Do I Want to Do With My Life?’ I sat, frustrated by the fact that others appeared to know precisely where they were headed and the steps they would take to reach their goals. Nevertheless, I remained confident that I was justContinue reading “WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE”
THE ONES WHO NEED SAVING
In the midst of a pitch-black night, illuminated only by the neon lights of club signs and car headlights, an individual lay unconscious on the ground, covered in vomit. The bystander effect, as defined, relates to the influence of others’ presence on an individual’s willingness to assist someone in need. It essentially involves the beliefContinue reading “THE ONES WHO NEED SAVING”
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