It took a lot

02 Jun, 2026

Link for note: the-state-of-nats-latest-post

--

[Everything between May 10 and June 02, Tuesday]

These are part of my field notes, to subscribe, click here. For desk notes, visit here

Data

Movies: 7

Books read: 0

Books purchased: 7

I write this from my desk after removing Rylan, the stray cat that nests there sometimes. This will be short. I am unable to sit for long and reflect. ¹ Too much on my mind with work.

Living

60 Best Days Bootcamp

All aspects of my personal life, which when you think about is all life, was going well. But it took a lot. It took a lot of purposeful thinking, a lot of energy. It took talking to myself and reminding me of the benefits of my pursuits. The energy expenditure in this month was higher than what I would have liked. Every decision that was good for me was not an instinct or an easy choice. It all took conscious effort on my end. Stepping out was hard, each time, to meet anyone or do anything. Working was hard. Calling people on the phone was hard. Reading was hard, and is still. Walking was hard. Writing was hard, and still is. Gym was hard. Cutting and eating fruit was hard. Patience was hard. Socialisation was hard. Silence was hard.

So to reframe this month, I am calling it 60 Best Days Bootcamp. Essentially I am no different from all of May, but when May felt like I had to get to places, I want June and July to feel like I am arriving at places. The bootcamp has only four things I must do everyday, all for my health, and are all achievable in one way or another. Day 1 was easier but Day 2, it is 5pm, and I am scrambling a bit.

So,
Days done so far: 2

Grievances: None

Additionally

• In 45 days I have taken 7 rabies shot and 2 tetanus shot. I might be a mutant. Rylan is still welcome in our home.
• Pret and I went shopping to Decathalon to prep for his trip to the hills. There we played corn hole and since then I have been convinced it is a good game to purchase for entertainment and problem solving.
• Saums visited me in Goa and promptly fell sick. So we spent days with the most easy going flu friendly version of a holiday, which was minimum effort for me and maximum for her. We balanced with easy days and active days.
  • We went to the beach and caught an hour worth of watching kite surfers that day. All that exhilaration led to an appetite for ramen.
  • We went to Padaria. We ate a thali in Avo's Kitchen. We got a drink at a nautical themed bar. And we got a picture of the two of us in front of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception in Panjim.
  • At one point, we had a friendly sharing-a-table chat with a person who ended up thinking we are lesbians. Great success. Always love throwing men off by showing what friendships could look like, and challenging their notions of healthy love that is unromantic.
• The guy mentioned above also met me for an hour the next day as I was swirling in my sadness of Saums' departure. He gave me a sunflower. It died a whole week later.
• Swat came to my house for a movie night but got was already so tired that she promptly fell asleep. We shall watch that Timothy Chamandelier movie some other day. I went to her house for Catan and we did not play even a minute, and she made me incredible dosa on her new pan. I commend anyone making meal plan around utensils they are excited to use.
• Ames came over with Richa after a visit to a bookshop. We played Catan and had yogurt dip with pretzels and mathri. They all go very well together.
• I ran into Dev Patel at a cafe in Goa. And then again when I was getting a dessert takeaway in a second location. I think he is the human equivalent of an expensive candle.
• Bharat came to visit and he matched all my enthusiasm for places I like to dine at. I even got to hangout with Anmol and attend their house warming party².

Consumption

• I had a gala time watching Send Help, a rightfully unhinged film which is also a promo for fruits from Thailand.
• Spent days thinking about The Green Knight and running into Dev Patel three weeks later led to a resurgence in interest.
• I had a long, thoughtful quiet hour after watching Sentimental Value. I am weak around films about sisters, but this one in particular came from the director actor combo of Joachim Trier and Renate Reinsve, respectively. Their previous collab, The Worst Person In The World was not one I enjoyed. In fact I think it is one of the movies that men watch and think is a good representation of the entirety of womanhood. The interpretation is gets me in all the wrong ways. Sentimental Value, however, had a more profound effect on me. I know I am itching to capture all this and note it all somewhere.
• I finally watched Bugonia and it was riveting. My faith in Lanthimos (the director) is returning (I am not a fan of the movie Poor Things).
• Eternity was cute. It said some good things about love.

The concept of comment section is broken. If you have thoughts you'd like to share with me, try email.