LOOKING BACK AT 2017

Its the first Sunday of 2018 and it seemed like the perfect time to look back at the past year. Every year is special in its own way, but 2017 was super special. I havent ever done a Highlights of the Year post on my Blog, but I enjoy reading or watching those from my fellow bloggers. So I thought, why not, lets try penning it all down.

Without much further ado, here are a few Highlights from 2017 :

1. BLAZE came home : 
I was born in a family, where my older sibling was furry and four legged and was a Giant German Spitz, named Doda. My father rehabilitated an abused pup to the best trained Dog I have ever come across. Over the years, we have had some marvelous pets. So from a family of 3, we became a family of 4. BLAZE completed our family. We were on the lookout for a furry ember to join our family and had been looking at pets at all the local shelter's websites.Finally, we were able to adopt the runt of a Labrador Retriever Litter who had just been relocated to a KC shelter, along with a few of his litter mates. He completes the Chatterjee-Dasgupta pack with his rockstar persona.

 2. We went to ICELAND ! 
 A trip which was planned to the minutest detail by my husband Debashish. Hats off  to you. We walked on an active volcano - HEKLA, and came back alive to tell the tale.It was a fabulous 10 plus days, where we drove around this beautiful country soaking it all in. Northern Loights not once, not twice, but 5 times. Filled our hearts and minds with memories, and our bellies with local Icelandic food. From glaciers on a Black beach - Diamond Beach to unwinding in Blue Lagoon Spa, we had it all. Words are not enough and a vlog is overdue. Not mention loads of Game of Thrones and Gerua trivia memories.

3. Rii had her first Dance Recital : 
I was all tears when my four year old, showed off those dance moves, in her sparkly tutu and dancing shoes. It was a big stage, she rocked it , with not one but two different dance numbers, in two different dance styles. Go Girl go !

4. I went back to School,after close to two decades : 
When I had finished my Masters in Kolkata, with the loudest bang, I had no intention that I would ever go back to school. I had topped the University of Calcutta, I had a good job, life was good. But Life takes many turns and changes. In February 2017, I decided that I wanted to go back to school. The inspiration was my Husband, who kept telling me for the last few years, that I should do it. together we looked at options for different courses, under the broader Communications spectrum. Finally found my match. A master of Science in Journalism and Integrated Marketing Communications, from the University of Kansas, is in the works. Its been a great first semester and am looking ahead to the times ahead.

5.Macy's Mother -Daughter Fashion Show : 
For the second year in a row, Me and Rii got to reprise our spot on the runway, with Macy's Mother's Day Fashion Show. What a privilege it has been.

6. We watched a Total Solar Eclipse :
They say watching a total solar eclipse, is once in a lifetime almost. For me and mys husband,we were fortunate enough to see our second total Solar Eclipse.

7. We experienced what Ranch Life is all about : 
Ever since we moved to Kansas, I have always wanted to experience what life in a ranch is.  We had been looking at ranch holiday options for quite a years, but never quite did it, as some exotic location or the other, won over. Finally it was a fabulous 4th of July weekend, in the Flying W Ranch, in Flint Hills, Kansas. From wagon rides at sunset to look at the buffalo grazing over the hill, to s'mores on a camp fire, to star gazing from the jacuzzi, to hiking through wild flowers and flitting Monrach butterflies, farm to table dinning to some quality family time - a glam ranch life indeed.

7. How can we not have a Beach Holiday ! 
If you know us, you know that, we have an annual holiday to the beaches, usually in December or Novemeber. We turned the tables and headed to a beach holiday in Summer. It was not another locale in the Caribbean(which is our usual haunt), but to the beaches in Texas. Our daughter is an absolute water baby, and she had a blast in Corpus Christi and a few other beaches nearby. Mom and Dad came back with crazy bad sun burn, and noted that beach holidays are best in the Caribbean and in Winter.

8. Colorado for the Nth time, with Blaze: 
We have been to Colorado way too many times ,and we love every one of them. Towards the middle of the year, we decided that we wanted to head back there. It was a lazy holiday, in Boulder, Colorado. Our first holiday as a family of 4. So much fun, introducing both our kids to our old haunts and making new memories. Colorado, might also become an annual tradition now, given the fact, how much both kids enjoyed themselves.