Author Archives: rs149471

Ramsha Suhail
Monologue
A random man in a suit starts walking very fast alongside me. “You should smile more often.” I think to myself “I’m getting late for my interview” and start walking faster, determined to avoid any further conversation. “You look very driven! You know I used to be a bank manager!” thankfully the subway station comes into view and I disappear inside. I guess I should admit that the New Yorker attitude has gotten to me, even after spending a year abroad, in beautiful Dubai!
My dad had decided that, for the experience, he would send me abroad for a year, and I chose Dubai as the place to be sent to, because, well, it’s Dubai! Underwater hotels, the tallest building in the world, ice skating rinks at the mall, you name it, Dubai is amazing. I relaxed through my entire year, learned to play polo and live the good life, because it was possible! My senior year of high school, I was introduced to so many new people, and at some point during the year, I started missing home. I didn’t have that same feeling, even with all the luxury, as I did in New York City. They say it is truly the greatest city in the world. My time spent in Dubai made me realize that it is up to me alone to decide if I want to go further in my life and to take advantage of every single opportunity that comes my way, no matter how small. It’s incredible how much you wish for things when they aren’t there. My grandfather’s death during that time left a message – that I had to do something special, for him, as we had an extremely close relationship.
My grandfather is probably also where I got my love for writing from. I write poetry whenever I feel a strong rush of emotion and it helps, tremendously. It’s like a catharsis, and it never fails to work. I have not published anything; its mostly personal writing so I guess I’ll have to wait a while before I’m ready to share it with the world.
Traveling, if you haven’t guessed, is one of the things I’m very passionate about. I have documented my travels to cities in Europe, the United States, and Asia. I have yet to explore Africa, a close friend has invited me to Cape Cod so I’m looking forward to that this summer. Traveling allows me to de-stress and explore places I’m not familiar with. Usually, I take friends to sample the touristy spots and restaurants and I’ve compiled a list of the best places for many things in the various cities I’ve traveled to. It is loads of fun and never gets exhausting.
I guess I consider myself a serious person, which I figured out my first day back in New York. I tend to have a black-and-white perspective when focusing on my goals, which leaves very little room for failure. I’m serious about my family, my future, animal rights and helping to change another person’s life in some way, because that’s one step closer to changing the world, as cliché as that might sound. I don’t really tend to smile when I’m heading to a certain destination, especially when there’s a high chance I’ll be late. But life is a beautiful thing, and there’s so much to smile about, I do agree. I like to believe that nearly nothing is impossible and there are ample opportunities in our life to improve ourselves, every day.