Hi, my name is Rish.

Welcome back…?

Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever properly introduced myself. So if you’re new here, let’s start from the very beginning.

(And if you’ve been around all along, click here & skip ahead)

Hi, my name is Rish.

I’m a 22 year old girl, born and raised in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. Around the age of 18, I got accepted into my dream school, UC Berkeley, and moved to California. To rationalize being a quarter million dollars in debt, I decided to double major in Economics & Data Science. However, I had no clue what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. & At 18, I didn’t really need to know yet. 

Then, for 1½ years, I leaned into the whole college sorority girl trope. I had Franzia bagged wine running through my veins, and I could recite the entire Greek alphabet forwards & backwards. Then one fine day in March 2020, this wack thing named Coronavirus hit, and I was promptly shipped back to the Midwest. I turned 20 in a pandemic & then shit started to get real- because I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. 

Somewhere along the way, in between a manic “the world is ending” rage and a “I’m gonna end up jobless” meltdown, I decided to take a gap semester from college (which had gone virtual). As if that wasn’t enough to spook my Indian parents- I also spontaneously decided to try my luck in pursuing fashion in New York City. If my life was a poker game, I went all in on a two pair hand- and hoped to God I could bluff my way through it. All I had was the amount of money that I had once anticipated spending on rent in California, and everything I had saved by living at home during a pandemic.

With a single suitcase, a $25 one way plane ticket, & a 4 month sublet bedroom I found on Facebook Marketplace- I moved to New York.

I’ll spare you the details in between. However, after a few months, my little fashion intern gig turned into a full time job as an Executive Assistant for a big NYC high fashion designer. The unanticipated extension of my time in New York and acceptance of this dream job offer, was all contingent on simultaneously returning to college virtually from NYC. So ya. That's exactly what I did.

For 9 months, I fully and thoroughly lived the life of Andrea Sachs- more than Andrea Sachs lived it herself. I would wake up every morning with at least 60 emails in my inbox. One day I would be putting the finishing touches & delivering Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration outfit. Then the next day, I would be hauling ass to buttfuck Queens for the best baklava in New York. I handled jewels worth millions of dollars, and I also handled taking out the trash, getting coffee, & washing the dishes. No day was the same, and I did everything from the most important to the most menial. Grateful through it all.

Calling the experience a rollercoaster would be an understatement. I know the best couriers, dry cleaners, florists, & caterers in all of Manhattan like the back of my hand. As the only 5’8” sample size girl in the office, I quickly turned into the in house fit model. One of the many fun perks of the job. I was the first one in the office every morning, and wouldn’t leave till my boss left. Sometimes it was 4pm, and other times it was 9pm. Cancelling dates, barely making deadlines for school, & running late to commitments became a personality trait of mine. One of the less fun parts of the job.

I cried more times than you could imagine. Being the youngest one in the office, at 21 years old, it seemed as though the blame for things going wrong always settled on my shoulders heavier than it did for others. Simultaneously, being 21 years old, also came with the consolation of knowing that this was just the beginning for me. Even the most unglamorous parts could be romanticized if I shifted my perspective. Because at the end of the day, I knew a million girls would’ve killed to be in my shoes at that time.

My last month in New York City entailed working my first round of New York Fashion Week & the Met Gala. I was at the office every weekday and weekend of August & half of September. That’s 45 days straight without a break. And why did I do it? Well, when the big day came, my designated spot was backstage- hugging the head designers, stylist & my boss (all in tears). Being in that position for the my first NYFW show- made it worth it. Having Venus Williams, my childhood idol, recognize and know my name- made it worth it. Having my older co-workers, who I respect so much, say that they couldn’t have done it without me- made it worth it. Having the opportunity to ghost write an op-ed which was published in Time Magazine- made it worth it. Having a boss who preferred to call me “bitiya” (which means ‘daughter’in Hindi)- made it all worth it.

So what now?

Well one day, I remembered that was 21 years old. Finishing my degrees was never a question. So, after a whirlwind of exactly 1 year & 15 days in NYC, it was finally time for me to come back to Berkeley.

In retrospect, some would call my decision to spontaneously move to NYC ‘divine intervention’ or ‘Godly timing.’ However, my lovely Nepali New York version of a parent, always says “I don’t believe in coincidences.” So we have a bit of contention on why that time of my life worked out as perfectly as it did.

And when that whole era came to an end, I left NYC with everything I came with: one suitcase & a one-way plane ticket. However, I also left with something that I didn’t have before. I left with the clarity of knowing where I want to be and what I want to do for the rest of my life. 

What happened next?

Well, the end of my NYC era lead into my current Berkeley era, which can be summed up in three worlds: sleep & clear skin.

And in exactly 45 days, I’ll be done with college & we’ll enter a completely new era.

💌

now…

This tiny little corner of the internet is something that I hold really close to my heart. It’s not something I planned to create- it kinda just happened overnight and I went with the flow. I like to think that I would’ve wrote and chronicled my life the same way- even if I didn’t have a public platform. Because the temporality of the internet is a finicky thing. 

Believe it or not, when I created my @lifeofrgr Instagram in September of 2020- it was so that I could go dark on all my personal accounts. I wanted a way to shit post for my mom and best friends to see. However, I also wanted to start my New York journey as a complete ghost. It was an account meant for the people closest to me- to show them the little moments that make me happy. An honesty I’ve tried to hold to- even as things grew larger than I expected. 

Therefore, a lot of the content I create isn’t intentionally meant for others’ entertainment. It’s more created to bottle up the most memorable experiences in my life- just like I saw them with my eyes- so I can hold onto that feeling or remember that story forever. And the fact that I somehow ended up with this many people to share those moments with- has been such a cherry on top.

Andy Warhol once said “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.” And with that, I always assume that my internet presence through little TikToks and cute pictures on Instagram only virally circulate for 15 minutes. To be honest, social media is a bit oversaturated for my taste- there are only so many Parade underwear & Revolve posts I can take. 

Moreover, my goal in life has never entailed being world famous for only 15 minutes.

However, my love for writing & my ideas for the future of fashion? Less saturated & more within the scope of my vision. So my goal in life? To keep professionally working on all of the new ideas I have for the fashion industry & writing on here (or wherever my voice fits) until I make such a large difference in the world- that my impact can be felt a whole shit ton longer than 15 minutes.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again:

At the end of the day, I hope this provides humor for those who might need a good laugh. I hope it instills a sense of belonging for those who feel alone. I hope it causes second-hand embarrassment for those who think their worst experiences were bad. I hope it brings a feeling of clarity for those who think they’re lost. And finally, I hope it provides inspiration for those who dream of achieving big goals like me.

With that - I’m so beyond excited for this new chapter in Life of RGR. A rebrand that I’m hoping levels up to New Bottega and Balenciaga Crocs. 

So what will “Life of RGR” look like?

It’ll practically be an inside look into my brain. Broken down into 7 categories: Fashion, Outfit Guides, College & Career, Wellness, Food, Travel, & Dating (of course).

& For all the things I can’t say in words?

I'll share the music, images, movie scenes, etc. that may convey the message better.

So, this week, as I start the 22nd year of my life- all I want to say is: this is just the beginning, and nice to properly meet you.

xRGR

(p.s. excuse the shitty grammar and typos- i’m knee deep in midterms this week. so as long as ya get what i mean, we’re in the clear)