Waqt ki qaid mein zindagi hai magar
Chand ghadiyan yehi hain jo aazad hain
Life is a prisoner in the grip of time,
These are the only short moments that are free
End of 2010, I had finished college, lost control of my startup chOpaal.pk, failed at starting another, ended a long relationship, and was ready to start from scratch, free. It led me to Minahil Asim, government reform work at the World Bank, started Technology for People Initiative, and eventually five incredible years in the US.
Start of 2020 feels similar. I got laid off last month, we wrapped up our life in the Bay area, moved to Toronto last weekend for Minahil’s postdoc, and I’m ready to start clean again, free again. Of course, this time around, I’m well aware of and thankful for my privilege.
Happy New Year 🙂
(I took the picture at Morningside Park in January 2020.)
Originally published on LinkedIn.