Wear designer saris, do social service and just chill

 I have an uncle, an influential and powerful man, who likes to give me life advice. The last time I talked to him, he said - " What are you doing killing yourself working hard at a corporate job, running marathons and living away from your family in some other country..." meaning well for me, he continued "...When you can be home, marry a bureaucrat, wear designer saris, do social service and just chill." 

Quite honestly, I was rather pissed when he said that to me. But today is one of those days that's making me question it all. Why did I come here to go to grad school and spend all my life's savings on it. The answer was very clear to me then. I wanted a larger playing field, more options to see where I can grow and become better. I had that wide eyed optimism and perhaps some degree of romanticism about the endless opportunities and great people I will get to work with. And that probably the reason that I threw myself into my work with all the honesty and earnestness I had - living and working in three countries and four cities over six years. These years have shaped me to become the person that I am today - definitely a more mature and wiser person, perhaps better at my job than I was before. I think the most rewarding part has been knowing the people that I have worked with - how some of them were kind and looking out for me even when they didn't have to. 

However, I never anticipated the extent of loneliness this whole experience would come with. How there will be a cost to speaking my mind and the truth as I see it. How my opinions, my suitability for the job I have and sometimes my very presence in a conversation will be questioned at times. What will make it seem more unfair is that a man saying the same thing I said with more confidence and less accuracy will  be accepted unquestioningly without resistance. How after more than 6 years of honest work at one job and 13 years in the industry, I will be sitting here thinking if just heeding my uncle's advice would have been a wiser decision. "Wear designer saris, do social service and just chill" - that does seem like a fun way to live life.

Fashion rules: Combat boots

I have always been a fan of combat boots for the comfort and edge they bring to any outfit. They are cute but the usual mid shin length makes them a little bit tricky to pair with pants and skirts of different lengths. So here are my rules of combat boots -

DO's -

Pair with skiny jeans or any trousers that can be folded to hit right above where the boot starts

Pair with shorts and fun tops for that boho music festival look

Pair with maxi or midi dressed to add edge to your feminine look

Pait with short dressed that end well above the knee

DON'Ts -

The only don't I have is to not pair them with any dress or skirt or trouser that hits the knee because then you will be segmenting your leg at two different points and confusing the visual elongation of your legs.