From shirt to a coat

The idea of reflecting on my past five years and writing about it came after I finished writing a post entitled, “From tee to a shirt.” In that post, I looked back at my past to know how much have I improved and learned from those experiences. I wrote that post when I was 25, and I knew right away that I had to continue that art of reflecting, in a similar fashion, when I reach 30. I even concluded that maybe I should write under the headline “From Shirt to a Coat”.

By doing so, I’ll realize how much I have accomplished and what’s for the future. We must look at a chunk of years instead of just weeks and months when we look back. That’s because life often moves imperceptibly in close intervals, and achieving anything significant takes time.

The 25 yr old me wanted to get married only after I had financial freedom and was hoping to get it done around the age of 27. Well, that wasn’t the case. I’m 30, and I’m still working as an employee, but I have learned that it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. And it was silly of me to relate financial freedom with marriage. She is independent as I am, and she is the boss of her own life.

More than professional life at the age of 25, I had a deep desire to progress in other facets of my hobbies like music, writing, or even owning some business. But it wasn’t the case either.

The last five years mainly shaped my career. I finished Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering from Kasetsart University, Thailand. After that, I worked as a researcher and designer in a Geotechnical consultant and research center, GERD, in Bangkok, Thailand. I got the opportunity to work on some international projects that took me to Japan, Cambodia, and Laos. Then I had to return to Nepal, initially for a holiday, but then Pandemic took over and the country border closed. So during the lockdown period, I finished my pending thesis for Masters in Rural Development. Yes, I have earned a dual degree within these five years, but of course, engineering is my primary sector. Due to the extended lockdown and changing life scenarios, I decided to work in Nepal.

Here, I taught engineering students for a semester as an assistant lecturer at Universal Engineering College of Science and Engineering (affiliated to Pokhara University). Additionally, I have published three scientific papers in international journals within these five years. I’m still occasionally involved with research projects of Thailand and particularly of the helical pile. I also completed an online course in LRFD design of foundation offered through Ingeoexpert.

As for my hobby, I learned photography within these five years and learned numerous software.  Lightroom, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Geostudio, Plaxis, WordPress, DeepFND are some highlights. I designed two websites; one is the current one on which you are reading this article, and the other is www.fatyak.com.np. The later website is for the consultant owner I am currently working on, Soil Engineering Pvt. Ltd. I’m working as a geotechnical engineer here, looking after managerial and technical aspects. If you plan to build some infrastructure, do contact us for a soil test of your site (a small advertisement ? ).

As for the future, I don’t have many plans. I have decided to do and give my best in whatever I’m involved with. I have learned that events happen in life, unplanned, with changing circumstances and time. The things that 25 years old me envisioned for 30 years old me is entirely different. Yet, it’s wholly satisfying and maybe even better.  As of writing, the only goal that I have in mind is to build my YouTube Channel. I intend to grow it, but I am not sure how and how much I shall be dedicated to it but by sharing it on this platform, I want to hold myself accountable. Also, I intend to update my website with blogs and articles as frequently as possible. So let’s see how it goes for the next 5 yrs.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and Merry Christmas ?. I hope that all of your good wishes turns into reality; all the best.