What is Kaloramic?
And more on what to expect in your inbox
Welcome to Kaloramic, a blog-journal-newsletter whose frequency will be around how often you get a haircut or pay rent (hopefully, around once a month).
During high school and college, I worked as a freelance journalist for publications in New Jersey and DC. I covered government, education, and feature beats in over a hundred articles, but what I loved most was the chance to share a story worth reading (you can find all my articles on www.siddmuchhal.com).
I last published in May 2021, and since then have joined the hustle and bustle of full-time work. I’ve scratched my creative itch so far with puzzles, paintings, graduate school essays, and even some stand-up comedy (more on that later) but wanted to come back to the written narrative. Journalism may still be in the question, but in the meantime a mentor introduced me to Substack, and the chance to write and share in a low-stakes environment.
So what will this newsletter be? And what does “Kaloramic” even mean?
In the journeys I’ve been privileged to have, I’ve come to realize that just experiencing a moment isn’t enough to really appreciate it. We take artsy photos, post it on our Instagram stories, and move on. It takes time and reflection to fully soak in the beauty of what’s around us, and within. I hope to share these reflections from travel adventures, but also regular moments of life in DC, primarily in short written form. In that spirit, Kaloramic is based on my neighborhood in DC., Kalorama, which translates in Greek to “beautiful view.”
Sunrise view leaving Kalorama onto Connecticut Ave (you can see the Washington Monument if you really Zoom in)
Fair warning: my writing is far from beautiful. I aim to convey my experiences and emotions, but do not claim to evoke them. My goal is to share narratives of life and to encourage everyone to reflect on their own narratives as well. At the least, I hope the pieces to come will be worth the read (though if you unsubscribe, I’ll only be mildly offended).
So here’s to starting a story :)