Catharsis

October 2021 I took the decision of quitting my job and embarking on my second sabbatical in June 2021 - this was not a knee jerk reaction to one event, but a reevaluation of pri orities owing to various factors over a period of time.  My previous blog “Musings of a Sabbatical-eur”  ( https://ac-catharsis.blogspot.com/2016/09/ ) talks at length about why it’s worth taking a sabbatical; this blog is more about my journey on a less-travelled path.  (Source: Google) The onset of the pandemic has changed all our lives in more ways than one. The second wave hit closer to home, and listening to the harrowing experiences of friends & family made me see things in a new perspective. Somewhere along the line, my life had been on default mode, just rushing from one task to another; neither taking the time to enjoy the moments in life, nor reflecting about things that truly mattered. Simba, our boisterous golden retriever pup, coming home and the Pawrenting journey was the clincher for me tak

 June 2021 Hubby’s sabbatical was progressing well - contemplating life ✅; focus on health ✅✅; adopting a puppy 🐶…. Hold on ! While I like dogs and have fond memories of our amazing German shepherd Fluffy while growing up, I am not one who can be categorised as an Animal lover. While Hubby continued to do copious research and showed me tons of puppy pics , status quo persisted until one adorable Golden retriever came along 🥰😍🤩. The pic instantly captured our heart and seeing his golden fur and cute snout, the name Simba spontaneously sprung to mind. We didn’t have too much time to get the house in order since Simba was arriving within a day of us choosing him. The day passed in a flurry of pet proofing, figuring out pet supplies & essentials… And our love of planning was reflected in Hubby reading so much information that one could easily apply for a PhD thesis 😉 Simba, our little ball of fur, joy and entertainment ☺️😆🤩 (Source: Author’s file photos)  While I have never real