“The more we learn, the more we get to know how ignorant we are” – Swami Vivekananda. When I got the opportunity to learn about this great son of India, these were the words that hit me really hard. It was a chilly day in Lucknow in the month of December.

As you read the farewell note to 2012, you are now not only joyful but thankful as well considering we managed to survive the Mayan prophecy. And today, more than ever, we are all ready to leap forward into 2013.

I finished my high school. At first, I couldn’t understand why everybody was getting so emotional about it. We would meet all the time, right? But after attending our after-farewell party, and as with each day we were close to our boards, I finally got it. School was not only a way of life. It WAS life. I was absolutely lost without it, and wondered where I would land up.

It’s the year 2013. Finally. It seems like I’ve been waiting for an eternity for the year to end. But that’s not new. I do that every year. Up until a few years back -when I went to college- I pretty much spent my life travelling. So it became a standard for me to wait around and see what new country I’d end up in. That was pretty fun and I ended up expecting an exciting new adventure every year.

Nostalgia Relived: The year that started off on a rather melancholic note started its hike upwards in February when a dear friend came to visit from South Africa. Taking her around the city and catching up the good old times was enough to put a smile on my face the width of Africa. We decided to go on a little adventure to McLeod Ganj, where we befriended a couple of fellow travellers, soaked in the fresh air while sipping on some local wine.

It’s been the year of the supposed “doomsday”, a year full of excitement, and one that had its own share of disappointment. Major things took place in every field as they always do. The re-election of Barack Obama as the President of the United States of America was extremely important to Politics and America; the 2012 London Olympics took place this year, and we have to wait another four years to witness the next Olympic games now (and hopefully by then India will manage to get its ban lifted!)

People who operate a smartphone and have a Facebook account can be safely put into the category of literate people. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that they know exactly what day, date, month and year it is. Of course, provided they are not suffering from retrograde amnesia. The phone with which you’re updating your status that goes all, “OMG!! It is 12-12-12 today” shows that damn date. Why create such a fuss about something as insignificant as that!

Every girl dreams of the perfect wedding — every single thing down to the last detail matters to her, from the perfect location, to the perfect guest list, to the most ideal food menu. But what matters above all is her wedding dress. Every bride wants to look her beautiful best on her wedding day so that when she remembers her perfect day whilst looking at pictures, she can feel as beautiful as she did on her wedding day.

For all the things one sees, for all the things one wants, there’s always a doubt that creeps in. Exploited by the mediocrity of his thought and a weak desire to stand out of the crowd, one always fails to find his real identity. I often see that people around me are living their life based on what the society thinks. They just live inside a cocoon which the society has created for them.

Back in the days when country music topped the billboard ratings and college degrees awarded the high-end jobs, a few good men stood out to break the Tao of Success. They challenged the shackles of traditional perspectives and opted out of formal education, forming the “League of Extraordinary College Dropouts”.