Thoughts On The Present And Future

I have been on my journey now for over a month now. I have been practicing using Malayalam whenever I get a chance. I have been super busy with school and trying to enjoy my last year of college. This has shaven into my time for hobbies and relaxing. However, I feel like taking some time every week to practice Malayalam has helped me find time to destress. When I have a break in between activities, I can open Ling and complete a chapter. I can also listen to Malayalam music or watch Malayalam cinema. It has become a fun activity that I do not feel guilty about doing. I am not procrastinating; I am learning something is what I always tell myself.

It was always my intention to get closer to my culture with this project. This has happened in some ways I did not previously imagine. I have started to care more about Kerala, the place in India where my family is from. I have recently read about the brutal floods that have happened this monsoon season. Climate change is causing serious havoc. Temperatures are rising and flooding has killed so many. Covid has also rampaged through Kerala. I know it’s a global pandemic, but it is still sad regardless. I care more about my people and culture and that motivates me to learn Malayalam.

I am excited for the future too. I now know that I graduate this spring. I am excited to work as a UX Designer. I also plan on taking a trip to Kerala after I graduate. My hope is to become fluent by then. I will get a chance to see family again. It has been five years since I have last seen them. Last time I went to India, all my grandparents were alive. Now all but one is dead. I had always spoken Malayalam so I could communicate with them. Once they died, I no longer had a need to speak Malayalam. That is the main reason I let my Malayalam skills decay. Now I am going back and trying to find new connections to my culture. It is no longer about just family. It is about who I am and who I will be. I want my culture to be a bigger part of my identity and not something I hide away every time I meet someone new.

To all my readers, I hope you are safe and happy. The world is both brutal and wonderful. Thank you for continuing to read my work. See you next week!