Before we jump into the new year let's look back at the moments of the past year. It certainly was a momentous year and this year is set to be even better with the anticipation of my husband's return to Australia. Hopefully by the end of the next month but you just never know when it comes to immigration. Now we haven't been very public with this, but watching our child grow up will bring even more joy to the year. I will share with you all more details in the coming months, but for now that is all I will say. Therefore I look forward to a year full of even better memories to cherish than the previous year.
This past year has certainly tested us with its trials and tribulations, but there also have been some incredible moments to make up for it. Going through my husband's permanent residency has been the biggest hardship, especially as we have been apart for most of the year. Rather than collecting memories it at times felt as though we just collected evidence for the sake of proving our relationship to immigration. It has been approximately 18 months since we officially submitted our application. However prior to that we spent a lot of time collating his application so it feels more like two years to the both of us, rather than just the time it has taken to process. It gets rather frustrating that immigration aren't obliged by law to provide you with updates on the status of your application. So we just wait and hope for the best.
Another memorable moment was spending six months in India with my husband and his family. During this time there were many ups and downs as you would know if you followed my blog. Becoming pregnant was just one of the ups as you would know. However we would like to keep that private for the moment before sharing further details with you all. My husband decided to get his first and second tattoo and let me choose the designs. So he looks even more handsome than he did to begin with. We had the pleasure of attending several traditional Punjabi Weddings together, which I absolutely love. However the best part of being in India was just being able to spend time with my husband since we haven't had the opportunity to do so whilst waiting on his permanent residency.
My Husband's First Tattoo
Starting my blog was another milestone I achieved in the year that was 2017. I haven't been as active on the blog as I would like to be lately, however that will change this year. Blogging has brought with it many new opportunities and I have met many amazing people. Especially other women, who like me have married into the Indian Culture. Being able to share your experiences with others in a similar position has been great. It has also allowed me to collaborate with some wonderful people. I hope to grow the blog even more over this year and continue to meet more wonderful people and be presented with more great opportunities.
Returning to Australia without my husband was one of the most difficult moments of the year as I knew the year ahead without him would be challenging. Worse yet was knowing that he had to remain in India and continue to struggle not having any income to support himself. However not having my husband here has meant that I have been given the opportunity to spend more time with my family. I have been living with my Grandma and Aunt therefore I have been able to spend plenty of time with them where normally I wouldn't be able to. With my Grandma reaching a ripe old age time is of the essence. I also spent some time living with my cousin who has a three year old daughter. Since I have spent a year in total in India I haven't seen much of her yet and children grow up so quickly. Though of course it would be nice to have my husband return and have our own family home. Nonetheless it was still a memorable time spent with all my relatives.
My Cousin & Her Daughter
Whilst it was an enjoyable time being able to spend more time with family it was also challenging financially and emotionally. Returning home without any form of income, home or transport meant I had to ask for help from those around me. Finding employment has also been difficult given the local job market is stagnant and there is very tough competition. So employers have the pick of the crop when it comes to hiring and therefore can be scrupulous. Although I am yet to find suitable employment with my ten year finance experience, I have been able to keep myself afloat. Mostly due to the generosity of friends and family and having a lot of resilience and perseverance. Which are critical to survive in today's economy when you manage a mental health condition.
Meeting up with one of my dear old girlfriends after not seeing one another for more than five years was certainly a highlight. A few of my girlfriends were visiting the Sunshine Coast for a mutual friends wedding so they made the trip a little further down south to visit me. It made me realise just how much I miss being in Melbourne although life here by the bayside has also been good to me. It was like we had just seen each other the other day when we finally got the chance to catch up.
One of the tribulations of the year was discovering mum had a rare form of cancer and needs to have radiation treatment in the new year. Unfortunately since it is rare when she had the operation to remove the tumour they advised us it was benign. Further tests revealed that it was in fact cancerous. If her doctors had acted on it sooner then she would not have needed to have radiation and the operation to remove it would have sufficed.
With all these trials and tribulations it is surprising I have been able to manage my health given I suffer Bipolar. However I have a great specialist who has been treating me on medication that is actually meant for other conditions. Though it happens to be a great treatment for depression. So we have continued my treatment and he has been incredibly flexible to meet my needs. Otherwise I don't think I would be as stable as I am today, albeit I am still not quite feeling myself. Although you may have the support of friends and family it is vital that you combine this with a somewhat healthy lifestyle that suits you and medication that works for you.
These are the moments that make up the year that was 2017. I am sure there are many more moments though these are the ones that come to mind. Let's hope the new year brings with it much health, wealth and happiness.
What were the moments that made up your year?