One and a half semesters in, and here I am. I must say, it has been an incredible journey so far; many ups and downs, many new experiences, many learnings. Continue reading to get a blast from my past.
Time and money management
Having never lived alone and on my own previously, the added responsibilities -- cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. – felt like a burden initially. Keeping up with studies, alongside maintaining a light social life and fulfilling all “responsibilities” was a challenge. However, after months of practice and experience, I finally got a hang of it. I feel like I’ve mastered the art of managing time.
Similar story about my financial situation – it was hard keeping track of where all my money went. In November, I ended up with only €35 in my account with 12 days to the end of the month. This meant thinking about purchases during that period at least thrice. After the dreadful period, I created a budget which I have been sticking to and actually saving money every month!
From barely cooking to becoming a Master Chef
During the initial months, I almost never cooked food myself, primarily due to lack of experience and the time management issue I mentioned previously. I relied on ready-made or semi-cooked meals/items and ordered from restaurants quite frequently. As time progressed, and I got bored of this ritual, I started cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, and this new passion won’t be fading away anytime soon. I can proudly say that I can cook various kinds of cuisines – Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, Italian, Thai, you name it – with the experiments being the best part. I always try removing or adding new ingredients every time in search of a breakthrough, and boy I’ve come up with some delicious creations.
Learning how to ride a bike
Having never owned or ridden a bicycle before, I decided to change this by getting myself one and fulfilling my childhood dream (finally). The next challenge was learning how to ride it safely in this city of bikes and crazy bike traffic. I conquered this challenge in no time and now I enjoy going to places riding my bike; having a nice mountain bike being a major motivating factor.
That’s all for now, folks. The adventures and experiences continue, and the learning never stops.
- Rohit