Five Years of Pink Chai

You guys …. my blog baby is five years old today! I’ve been thinking for weeks that I need to write some amazing recap post and highlight all the years, but every time I go through the archives I get stuck. There are so many posts, so many pictures, and so many emotions. So instead of linking back to old posts and favourites,  I’m just going to let the words and thoughts flow and see where we end up…pink chai living{On the left: Feb 2011, On the Right: Feb 2016}

When I think back to the day I decided to start my very first .wordpress.com blog, I remember how sad I was. I had recently turned 30, hit some major obstacles on the family and finances front, and I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. The one thing I was still excited about though was clothes. Not just buying them, but mixing them to create new outfits, pairing them with different accessories, and basically playing dress up. That’s why the original concept for this blog was sharing my daily outfits through a Project 365.

Looking back on it now, it wasn’t really the daily outfit photo that got me motivated and excited it was the combination of creating the look, photographing it, editing the pictures into collages with hearts, and then writing the witty commentary to go along with each post. Through a happy accident, or sweet serendipity (whatever you prefer to call it)…I re-kindled my creative vibe through my love for dressing up, but it would take me almost three years to realize that. pink chai living

For the first two years I stayed in the safe zone of daily outfit blogging, but in the back of my head I often wondered what it would be like to write other deeper posts. What if there was an audience who wanted to know more than just my thoughts on fashion? Of course, that’s not possible I would tell myself. In fact, sometimes I would say “you’re lucky people even care enough about your outfits to visit your site.” Over the course of those two years Pink Chai did grow in popularity as did the community of followers, but then my trusty little voice was always there to tell me “people like your pictures now because you got a better camera and clothes, not because you are a talented stylist or pretty.” That’s the thing about the voice of self-doubt: it knows exactly what to say to keep you in that safe zone, because it’s scared of what’s beyond it. 

Thankfully, during those first two or three years in the blog world, I built a community, a tribe of women who helped lift me up and support me – the original team MM (Nisha, Vaishali, Anjum, Shweta, Sheba, and Salima). Every time self-doubt tried to shut me down, they cheered me on, and for that I’m eternally grateful.family-with-names{Had to share this blast from the past – just for the cutness factor!}

Somewhere between year two and three of my blogging journey my Bibi (maternal grandma) got sick, really sick. I remember sitting by her hospital bed listening to a doctor tell me that her lung was collapsing, and all the while I couldn’t get two thoughts out of my head; why didn’t I ever learn how to crochet from Bibi, and I wonder if anyone can make mathian like her – does anyone have the recipe? My Bibi ended up recovering from that ailment and stayed with us for another two and a half years, but that scare changed my vision for Pink Chai, and gave me a new direction.

Around the same time that both my grandparent’s health started to decline further, the Universe sent me another batch of Angels for my tribe (Eschelle, Rebecca, Kerry, Salma, and Taslim). So many FB threads, what’s app chats, and tear filled phone calls have happened with these girls over the years, and I couldn’t feel more blessed to have them in my life. These are also the girls that helped me elevate my blog from a hobby to my career. hot chocolate chai

 

Fast forward passed the grief filled messy bits of life that I’ve already written about…and today I’ve been blogging for five years. Today I write about topics that I’m passionate about like preserving food culture, DIYs, arts, literature, and so much more! My blog is my almost full-time job, and I love going to work. It’s frustrating some days, and exhausting others, but I’m truly happy. Now when I look at pictures of me crafting, cooking, and creating memories with my kids, I see a happy, fulfilled, and successful woman. I’m actually kind of proud of myself for how far I’ve come. 

So that’s really what five years of Pink Chai was about – finding myself, my happiness, and my legacy project. I cannot wait to see what the next five years bring!

Before I sign off from this extremely long post, there are a few people who keep me going every day that I’d like to thank – there are no words that do justice to the gratitude I have for these folks but I will try. My family (Mr. T, Armaan & Zara) – thank you for giving me the space and grace to do the things I love and motivating me to grow, and for being my daily dose of inspiration. My darling friend Dale – for all the conversations, the pep talks, and most importantly for that one time you didn’t let me quit. My friend first, best photographer ever second – Aziz, for the uber service, the coffees, the conversations, and the never wavering faith and confidence in me.

And last, but definitely not least – to those of you who read my blog, who let me into your life, and cheer me on from afar. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

 

 

 



 

 

 

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5 Comments

  1. February 14, 2016 / 4:42 pm

    Happy 5th Birthday!!!!

    Congratulations!!!!!

  2. February 15, 2016 / 8:30 pm

    This was the perfect 5th Blogiversary post! You’ve been through quite a journey and from the looks and sounds of it, it’s only going to get better and more exciting. So happy that blogging brought our worlds together <3

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