outside of work

I tend to keep myself occupied with a mix of things that are either slightly nerdy, slightly creative, or completely random.

Lately that looks like photography, painting, reading books, writing reflections, occasionally staring at the sky trying to understand astronomy, and keeping a few plants alive (mixed success so far).

I also follow geopolitics more closely than most people probably should. And Formula 1, which feels like geopolitics but faster.

Travel
I like exploring new places without overplanning them too much. I’ve been to 20+ cities across the US and a bunch of national parks.

I enjoy the obvious things, but also the quieter parts.
Walking through neighborhoods, finding random food spots, sitting in bookstores, or just figuring out what a place feels like.

Cooking
Living abroad turned this from survival to something I actually enjoy.

Mostly Indian food.

Current highlights:
ghee roast, palak paneer (personal favorite), misal, pesto, and a tiramisu that has been independently verified as good.

Also, my rotis are round now. This felt worth mentioning.

Reading & writing
I try to read a few books every year, mostly non-fiction.

I also write occasionally when something sticks in my head long enough. Usually reflections more than anything structured.

Movies & shows
My watchlist has no theme.

Thriller → documentary → romcom → something I question halfway through → repeat.

Music / dance / singing (honesty section)
can dance well enough to not be embarrassing
can sing well enough to not be invited to do it again

Sports
I follow football, Formula 1, and cricket.

I also play things like pickleball, badminton, cricket, football, table tennis… basically anything that doesn’t require professional-level skill.

Spirituality
I do believe there’s something bigger than us.

Not very rigid about it, but I appreciate people who think about these things beyond surface level.

Driving somewhere new or exploring a random part of the city.

Long walks by the waterfront or in a park, sometimes with music, sometimes just silence.

Trying to cook something I saw on Instagram and being slightly overconfident about it.

Working on a side project that may or may not go anywhere.

Writing something late at night.

Or doing absolutely nothing and being surprisingly okay with it.