2025 will be the year I turn 39. I like this late-thirties era. The increased maturity (most days), deepened perspectives, heightened self-acceptance, and what felt like an instantaneous inner calm the day I turned 38 have all contributed to making me appreciate this stage of my life far more than I anticipated. In contrast, I’ve …
Author: malavika.thomas
INTROVERT WEDDING IDEAS
I was never one to dream of or picture my wedding day growing up. Certain aspects of it, yes—the dress and choice of venue (always my favourite part of any wedding)—but that’s mostly where it ended. I adore attending weddings, however. Big ones that pull out all of the stops, complete with grand ceremonies and …
THE BEAUTY OF LIVING IN A LOW-KEY CITY
I’ve started to feel like the so-called “world-class cities “get all the hype. Whether they happen to be in Europe, North America, the Middle East, or Asia, the idealization of travelling to, working in, or living in cities like London, NYC, Paris, or Japan has reached diabolical proportions. I’m immensely guilty of this myself. I …
ACTIVITIES THAT DON’T NEED ALCOHOLIC ACCOMPANIMENT
The title of this article could be interpreted in two ways: as day-to-day routine activities that we currently engage in that we pair with the delight of an alcoholic beverage, or as leisurely or social experiences one may be searching for to escape the pressure of having to drink. With the holidays fast approaching and, …
DOES SHARING OUR LIVES ONLINE MAKE US LIKE OUR LIVES MORE?
I will never tire of analyzing the psychology of our human obsession (often even against our own will) with social media. I find it absolutely intriguing in every way. The fact that we’re over a decade into having daily, unregulated access to this alternate universe of living and that it’s gaining more momentum and growth …
A CASE FOR QUICK TRIPS OVER EXTENDED VACATIONS
I wouldn’t consider myself a globetrotter in the true sense of the word – I haven’t visited all continents, backpacked for months through South America, or had any out-of-the-ordinary or one-of-a-kind exploratory experiences. Still, I think I’ve gone through my fair share of travelling over the last decade to speak factually and openly about those …
THE POWER OF MYSTERY
There is something to be said about an enchantment with the unknown. Various things could arouse this feeling—people with reticent personalities or deep-thinking minds, those utterly content with their own space, time, and company, or someone with a non-existent online, social media, or public presence. It could also be induced by curious new places, novel …
DO WE OVERESTIMATE OUR NEED FOR VARIETY AND CHOICE?
The feelings evoked by the perceived availability of a wide selection of people, places, or things in life that we consider stylish, beautiful, emotionally fulfilling, practical, delicious, or status-enhancing can be compared to similar feelings evoked by love and narcotics. If we’re talking about only the pre-virtual era, this feeling could have been triggered by …
REIMAGINING “HIGH VALUE” IN 2024
High Value has become an incredibly ubiquitous, persuasive term, made famous by the virtual tidal wave that is social media, especially in 2024. I didn’t overthink it when the term first started making the rounds. It’s intriguing in its own way. Especially when applied to people, and even more entertaining when applied as a strategy …
WHY CRYING IS GOOD FOR YOU
Tears represent so many different things to us throughout our lives. From the time we are infants through old age, weeping, sobbing, wailing, or any other variation of emotional expression serves so many different purposes. As I grew up and entered my twenties and beyond, I consciously and unconsciously developed the tendency to not to …