It’s never too late (to start the year with a blog post)
I’ve been hearing this ‘never say never’ crop in many conversations that I’ve been having with friends and colleagues around the world. But as I was reminiscing about the year that was, I couldn’t help but think of amending that to ‘it’s never too late to…” And since this is a vomiting of my thoughts, here’s a bit of INTLT moments from my life.
It’s never too late to pick up a new sport
After dedicating the first 16-17 years of my life to cricket, friends in Manipal introduced me to football. And man, did I take to that sport. I love playing it (I thank my constitution for still letting me play it), I love watching it, and by extension of that, I love documenting it. I have made some new friends, met some really cool people and travelled to parts of India, which otherwise wouldn’t be accessible to me.
It’s never too late to chase a dream
From
- Engineering in Manipal, not completing it
- followed by an internship in one of India’s leading printing press and hating it there
- getting into eLearning as a writer because the HR thought being an engineer and going to a convent school meant I was better off as a writer than a designer
- following my mentor (God bless her for seeing the potential in me) into advertising
- quitting it briefly to try freelancing (both writing and photography)
- heading back to Manipal, sitting in class with students 14 years younger, obtaining that degree that always alluded me
- interning with two eccentric photographers, wondering if I am cut out for it
- going back into advertising to make the money I couldn’t in freelancing
- suffering a burn out
- taking a chance, while burnt out, on this small agency that gave me the agency over my time and weekends and side quests
- quitting that to pursue this slow burning that then became this restlessly loud scream of doing photography full-time, doing a course that gives me access to live abroad for however little time I can,
I’ve come a long way. Whenever I felt stuck, I pivoted but not completely in control, until I said to myself, no more autopilot or doing what society wants. What is it that I want? I still don’t have the answers, but I can proudly say that I am probably living how I always meant to.
It’s never too late to seek professional help
A bitter separation, and an (meh…sort of) amicable divorce forced my stubborn hand a bit to go for therapy. I can’t quite summarise how helpful it has been. Knowing myself has helped me understand the world better. The serenity I live in, in spite of the internal and external chaos, seeing myself change, truly transform to live authentically cannot be described in words.
It’s never too late to move (cities, countries)
This comes from a place of immense privilege, but if you can and if you want to and if that calling is so strong, just do it. I was so hesitant to move from Bombay to Bangalore, but Bangalore truly helped me become who I am today. It celebrated me, introduced me to some interesting people who moved with intention, held me when I was down and propped me back up.
Now, I am in Paris, fulfilling another one of those crazy fantasies I feel only I can dream of. I hope this city is kind to me like Bangalore was. Inshallah.
And talking about moving, I took up dance when I was 37 I think. And, boy can I move. Earlier, only my hips wouldn’t lie. Now, I feel my entire body is capable of nothing but the truth.
So, I would like to end my sermon here. It is never too late to try new things. Be curious, be naughty, be pragmatically silly—it’s totally okay to try and then say, ‘fuck it! This wasn’t for me’. And who knows through all that silliness, you will find yourself. For it’s never too late to start leading that life you have always wanted to. I am a living embodiment of it.
I hope you all had a fantastic 2025. Here’s to an even better, more fabulous 2026.
xoxo
