Welcome to my 23rd newsletter!

Hello and Happy New Year! Or as we say in Czech, “šťastný nový rok!” I hope your holiday break was restful and enjoyable.

My break was action-packed. I met up with my family in the motherland: India! We travelled all around: Mumbai, Goa, Amritsar, Jalandhar, New Delhi, and Agra. We saw so many beautiful sights, ate such delicious food, and met such warm and hospitable family and friends.

My trip to India was very formative. I learned so much about my culture, my family’s history, and a whole new way of life. And I would like this newsletter to be a deep-dive into what my experience in India taught me.

Also featuring some pictures at the bottom from Vishnu and Vishaan!

India’s Impact

This portion is going to sound much different than previous newsletters.

When I was India, I was shocked by the hospitality. People work more and get less. The hospitality was absurdly all-encompassing; everyone was everywhere at every moment and we drowned in a surfeit of “yes no problem,” “you’re welcome,” and “done.” The workers in hotels, restaurants, Uber, entertainment seemed to always be on. They operated like machines, needing only one hour of battery recharge for 23 hours of work.

I was so impressed not only by their hard work, but also by their attitude.

We always tried to make conversation with anyone we met: bartenders, rickshaw drivers, waiters, tour guides, restaurant managers. Not a single person we met said they worked under 80 hours a week. Huh?????? And when they showed up to work? Not a frown on their face, not a wrinkle on their shirts, not a minute late, and not an ounce of cynicism or disdain. Whether or not they were hiding their exhaustion and resentment is something I don’t know – nor do I think is relevant – because what was so amazing to me was how they consistently showed up and showed out. Not born with a few silver spoons in their mouths like I was, they worked tirelessly, relentlessly, and eagerly.

Before I go on, let me express a quick caveat. Yes I am aware of how the hospitality and service industry, particularly in India, is a toxic one. It is an unforgiving and thankless industry defined by vexing requests from entitled customers and demanding bosses often without a modicum of clemency for their staff. And the fact there are millions and billions of people in India ready and able to work, eager to uplift their families, creates a disparity in favor of the employers: “If you don’t want to work, okay no problem, there are a million other people who do want to. And who’d do it for less.” I am not condoning this high-pressure environment, nor have I switched up to worshipping the “grindset.” No. All I am saying is these people work hard as f*** and I respect it.

If there is one thing I learned on this trip, from seeing the humble beginnings of my parents’ childhood homes to witnessing the intense drive and determination of the India workforce, is that I don’t work hard enough. It’s that nobody cares, work harder. This might sound harsh, but I think it’s a necessary reality check. We are told that comparison is the thief of joy and that we shouldn’t compare our life with someone else’s, but I don’t entirely agree; I believe we can do so in a healthy way. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to others in self-loathing ways: “So-and-so is so much richer than me, has a better life than me, is stronger than me, is better than me, etc. and I am so much worse than them.” Instead, we could look at how other people live, compare their lifestyles to our own, decide what aspects that we like and don’t like, and then take action to implement them into our own lives.

Learning about how other people live is how we grow and improve. By not doing so, we create an insulated bubble shielding us from the realities of the world existing beyond our eyesight. Ultimately preventing our progression, furthering our stagnation, and trapping ourselves in a permanent trance of ignorance and complacency.

And so, when I look at how people in India live, work, play, eat, rest, how my Dad grew up, and how my Mom was raised, and when I compare it to my own life, I realize that…I need to work harder. I realized how much luxury I have. I have the freedom, thanks to my family, to study what I want, pursue the career that I want, pick up the hobbies that I want, prioritize the projects that I want…luxuries that a lot of people don’t have. And no, this is not the first time in my life that I’m realizing this, but it is the first time in my life that I truly understood how much of a shame it would be to waste this. To have at my cornucopia of opportunity and not capitalize on it, what a waste.

I have no real reason not to do well in whatever path I choose. No true blockers or hindrances other than my own self. This trip forced me to understand and confront the gravity of my life, truly value it, and recognize how tragic it would be to waste it. There are millions and billions of people who would pray to have my problems, my inconveniences, my worries. And to forget the privilege I have, and fail to act on it, is more than just negligence, but disrespect.

Thank You, 2025

Last thing here before I close out my newsletter. 2025 was a colorful year. I made so many memories, met so many people, and experience so many emotions. I loved and I lost, had some high highs and some low lows, I had some shared laughs and some lonely cries, I gave a lot and received even more. This year was truly transformative for me, and I am beyond thankful for everything and everyone that made this year so special.

In 2025, I made new friends, I lost some weight, I started my Fulbright grant and moved to the Czech Republic, I did a triathlon, I did stand-up comedy, I did a lot of traveling, I read a few books, I had so much love. But I also lost some people, couldn’t break my nail-biting habit, had several cavities, didn’t make a dent in my Hindi learning, didn’t get the job at the NBA that I applied to, felt very lost (especially in March/April/May), struggled to stay motivated, didn’t always think positively, and over-analyzed several situations. But it was a good year. It had its challenges and struggles and pains, but it was good.

On this email list, I have a lot of different type of people: friends, family, colleagues, students, former classmates, and even some strangers (or people whose email addresses I don’t recognize). And so, to all of you, thank you. To everyone who was a part of my life in 2025, whether you are part of my 2026 or not, thank you. For making this one of the best years of my life. I appreciate you, I am thankful for you, and I hope 2026 is better than you can ever imagine. I am rooting for you, and I know that you are rooting for me.

Thank you for listening to me!
If you’d like to follow along in my journey here in Zlín, I’d love for you to czech out my Instagram account: @amilinzlin!

You know the drill: everything I write here is something I am actively working on improving and implementing within myself. Writing them out also helps me to visualize what to work on and how to do it. And having you as my audience holds me accountable.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or feedback, please dish it to me! I’d love to know how I can improve. I am glad to have you here on my VasaVita journey.

If you want to talk more about anything I discussed in my newsletters, or want to learn more about VasaVita, check out my website below!

See you this month!

And last but not least, the following growth check!

You all know the drill: in the sprit of transparency and holding myself accountable, I include my audience count here to keep you apprised of my growth. We got 1 new joiner in December! So huge, hoping to cross 100 subscribers this year! If you have any ideas or tips, please do share!