Hellos!
My name is Nikita and welcome to my world.
What do you do?
I am a Digital Marketer by day and a writer, pop-culture enthusiast, Korean culture obsessed, tall person by, well, all the time. Oh, and I also play video games, watch anime and cosplay when I can. And I often consume questionable amounts of hot chocolate and Asian food.
If you’d like a more visual glimpse into my life, drop by my Instagram, which is such a seamless self plug, by the way.
When did you start writing?
I have been writing since I was 8 and I even paper mache my own book at the age of 9, called ‘The Crystal Castle’.
I write for a job, I write for this blog, and I also contribute to other websites. I used to write on writerscafe.org and livejournal. But then I finally started writing a (semi) consistent blog 5 years ago on DaysOfRainAndSummer.com.
What was DaysOfRainAndSummer?
I love this question. I am so glad you (i.e. me) asked.
It was a blog I started in 2015 where I actually wasn't sure what it was about. Towards the 2nd or 3rd year, I found a voice for it. And on its 5 year anniversary, I decided to re-brand it NikiJads because now I am sure of what I want to say to the world and how I want to say it. Now why was it called so?
I don’t know about you, but for me, Summer and Monsoon seasons are my most favorite seasons of the year. There is something magical in the air that suddenly inspires me to do something, be something, and create something. Almost like being another person, even if it’s for a little while.
During summer months, the warmth of the air reminds me of the wonderful things that I used to experience as a child. Like a good book and a hammock. Or wiggling your toes under soft beach sands. Or even the liberating feeling of waking up whenever without a pressing agenda to attend to, and of course, the freedom from school.
Those memories have embedded the feel of summer in my head as a season to unwind, and take a small break from life. No matter what you do, everyone needs to pause for a moment and assess how far you have come. And summer does that for me. Even though I do have a job, it reminds me to take it easy once and awhile. Sometimes you need a breather from the rush and bustle of everyday life. And not to forget that it’s okay if you take things slow. You learn to appreciate the very same things even more.
Now the rainy season follows in the exact same theme. Except this season is more refreshing to me.
It helps me get back into focus, to know what I want from life and how I can get to that point without losing the essence of who I am. Because let’s face it, we all know the sense of who we are when we are still in school, but the moment we step into the real world, the pressure, the reality of it all hits us in the face and while running the race of success, we forget ‘us’.
The rain to me is a season for realizing that everyone needs a wake-up call. Even me. That no matter who or what you are, you need a good wash down to get rid of all the built up of everyday commonality. Like a good scrub of all the dust that has accumulated on top of you from living the ordinary day-to-day scenarios. And who knows? When you come out squeaky clean, you might find a whole new refreshed perspective to life. Wouldn't that feel great?
Why did you start this blog?
I wanted to encapsulate these two seasons into a feeling I can communicate to the reader. Where on one hand, you can give yourself the break you need (summer) but be sure to bounce right back once you’re ready (rain).
I also wanted to showcase the journey to adulthood and the process and progress of life. There are so many questions we have growing up that no one knows the answers too. But I hope to bring some clarity and inspiration that growing up isn't all that daunting.
You can still be gaming for hours, binging on KDramas and bringing home a paycheck.
You can still learn to do the finances and taxes and admire the colorful world of comic con.
You can still listen to empowering audio books and bop along to KPop.
You can, in all essence, still be a child at heart.
So with this blog, I hope to remind you all how good life feels if you learn to take it one step at a time. Stop to smell the books, sip a cup of tea, meet that someone new, savor a good conversation and most importantly, realize that life is going to happen every day, you have to find new ways to make it better.
Wishing good things for you all,
Nikita :)