The pandemic of 2020 was a state of affairs like no other. The reality we all knew and operated under until mid-March got yanked out and replaced with a new normal that changed our perception of modern-day life for good. Or bad. Human touch and proximity became an alien concept. Restaurants, bars, movie theaters, sporting and concert arenas, conventions and conferences, public transit, trading floors, salons, places of worship, and any activities and events held indoors closed overnight. Corporate workers adapted to a work-from-home model for the long haul. Social gatherings became extinct.

There were a few good things coming out of it too: people became more health-conscious, started connecting with their immediate neighbors, and embraced a better quality of life when a headless-chicken style commute came to an abrupt halt. Nomadic working lifestyles became popular. Talents became more and more accessible transcending geographies due to the online nature of work.

2020 reminds me of my freshman year of undergraduate. I was homesick, confused, sad, distressed, and reminiscent of my old life in my hometown I had left behind. There were so many unknowns to navigate. So many new experiences to adapt to. 2021 feels like my sophomore year. This year will be a year of endless possibilities: we have embarked on it suitably adapted to the new normal fully aware of the expectations the challenges would bring at the same time knowing it can only get better with each passing day. We have not only learned to survive in the times, we are thriving through improvisation and innovation.

Here's why I am ever-optimistic and confident of an inevitable upswing. I had to stop working in the Fall, but a silver lining (or, shall I say black-and-gold lining!) was a Master in Science degree in communication from prestigious Purdue University. I had started the program in Spring 2019 and fortuitously, it was 100% online from get-go thus requiring minimal transitional efforts on the university's part.

Now, I am better-prepared to face 2021 than I ever was. The right brain (liberal arts) and left brain (engineering) connection is stronger than ever before equipping me with rare insights and an even rarer profile of an international financial technologist with expertise in strategic communication.

I hope 2021 sees you stronger than ever with a determination and enterprise to succeed no matter what you put your heart and soul into. Good luck to us and cheers!