I have learned, through experience so far, that life isn’t linear. I wanted to contribute to‘Modern Muse’ as I felt it would be an opportunity to assert my identity as a woman of South Asian, Indian, and Panjabi heritage. This hasn’t always been easy for me and I am estranged from all of my blood relatives so having a portrait made and featured here is a very personal step towards feeling like I belong. Everyone adapts culture in ways that best speak to them. It has taken me a long time to accept and believe that I am no less of a representation of a South Asian person than anyone else, that I am equal, and that my perspectives and contributions to conversations about our community matter. There is no right or wrong way to be South Asian. Staying connected to my heritage is an active practice. I grew up in a household where various forms of English, Panjabi, Hindi, and Urdu were spoken. Without these, I don’t believe I would be as connected to my heritage as I am. Language, both verbal and non-verbal, underpins how we communicate as humans; being multilingual, and having a natural relationship with different modes of language, allows me to inhabit my heritage, and understand its culture in a very personal and sensory way.