This morning, I greeted a friend with, "I'm back in hashtag Chicago!" He quipped, "Back? You were gone a week, not a month!"
My recent trip to hashtag Connecticut was so incredibly and unexpectedly busy, that it surely felt longer than a week.
Leaving Connecticut post-lockdown in July 2020, I hadn't expected anyone to remember me. I planned to work from my friend's apartment with occasional trips to West Hartford, my home for five years.
I hesitantly texted a few ex-colleagues. Before I knew it, my schedule was packed! Work also picked up more than expected. So, I worked odd hours and honestly, I didn't mind. My team supported my plans, allowing me to be flexible.
A last-minute visit from a cousin led to a short trip to hashtag NYC. So mid-week, I took a train from Union Station in hashtag Hartford, which also took me back to the countless trains/buses I had taken from there to NYC.
The next day, my friend, whom I hadn't seen in years, came over to work remotely with me. From studying together in the Butler Library to working together at hashtag#WeWork near Columbus Circle, life had changed. I wanted to cry. But that moment deserves another post. So we'll circle back to it ;)
I worked until 6:30 PM, had dinner at 7 PM, and went for a drink at 9 PM. The next morning, I caught my 9 AM train from Penn Station, working through the three-hour journey. I continued working from my second home in West Hartford, Starbucks on La Salle Road, before meeting a few more friends.
On the last day, I met with a colleague who had been my boss and hashtag#mentor. She noticed how much I had grown and become more hashtag#confident over time (Have I?).
On my way to the airport, I met another friend. We reminisced about pre-COVID times, randomly visiting each other's desks out of boredom.
I had some time to kill before my flight. Sipping Chardonnay, I reflected on reconnecting with hashtag#friends who remembered and cared for me all these years. It was funny how easily I confided in them about my struggle with hashtag depression.
Everyone was genuinely happy to see me healthy, yet concerned given how I left. The Mahima they knew was the cheerful girl who shared her opinion a bit too strongly, (worked hard, I hope) and never learned to wear a poker face.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my hashtag#career to have worked with amazing people. In hindsight, I never felt that I came across a glass ceiling, and if my mind created one they helped me shatter it.
In all those years, I hated not having a vibrant personal life like any other 20-year-old. This led me to pursue excelling at work, and that inadvertently helped me forge some incredibly special hashtag#connections.
And even though I hated living in Connecticut, it was always kind to me, with its scenic beauty, amazing opportunities, and beautiful people. And NYC still welcomed me as it did ten years ago when I arrived on January 13th, 2014 at Broadway and W 96th Street.
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