First job in Gilgit

I arrived in Gilgit in May 2023 and secured a job there. I find summers in Islamabad unpleasant, so I decided to move to Gilgit instead. Before making this move, I had accepted a job in Islamabad but chose not to join due to the summertime heat. I was determined not to spend the summer in Islamabad, and since my job in Gilgit began in May 2023, I made the transition.

In the first month, I stayed home alone and focused on my job responsibilities, which kept me busy. I traveled to Hunza to attend the Shahoor Foundation's regional workshop for fellows from Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and Islamabad at the Luxus Hotel Hunza.

In the first week of June, I traveled to Islamabad for an appointment at the Austrian embassy. I submitted my documents and then took a flight back to Gilgit. Throughout June, my workload and official responsibilities kept me quite busy. My mother and sister visited me in Gilgit. In July, our entire family gathered in Gilgit to celebrate Eid. I also received my visa for Austria and began making preparations. On July 10th, I went to Islamabad with my cousin and departed for Austria.

I spent 14 days in Austria. I attended a 7-day conference in Vienna and later visited Innsbruck. After spending a week there, I returned to Vienna and took my flight back to Pakistan on July 24th.

I arrived in Islamabad and then traveled back to Gilgit. I had some pending tasks to attend to and became busy with them. Since then, I have been living in Gilgit. My job contract ended in September 2023. I had planned to leave for Islamabad in October; however, my younger brother came to Gilgit to prepare for his exams. I also have some unfinished tasks to complete.

In October 2023, I received an email from the Pepperdine School informing me that I had been accepted into a Master's program in Public Policy. The school has accepted me for the fall 2024 intake. Today is November 11, 2023, and I will be leaving Islamabad tomorrow.

I had a great time in Gilgit. I reunited with old friends, spent time with them, visited various places, managed family businesses, and met new, interesting people.

Each day, winter is becoming harsher and more intense, making it difficult to stay here in Gilgit. I recently interviewed for a Research Associate position at the Shahoor Foundation and have also applied for the same position in Islamabad. I hope to secure a job there so I can spend my winter in Islamabad. Additionally, I need to apply for a student visa for the U.S.

By the grace of Allah, I will streamline my tasks in the future. Ameen.