Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Reeva Paluri of Orange County

We recently had the chance to connect with Reeva Paluri and have shared our conversation below.

Reeva, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Outside of my graduate school and training responsibilities, what has brought me the most joy is any quality time I can spend with friends and family. Usually spent over a good meal, time with the people I love keeps me going through the burnout I experience. While burnout is practically inevitable nowadays, the value of a strong support system remains unmatched in recharging drained batteries. Even if it is just a little bit. Having people who make me laugh, think of my well-being, show their love, and extend their time whenever possible make the days feel colorful and full. They remind me to tend to all parts of my life even when some demand more of me than others. So my weekend plans of choice are to put my laptop to the side for as long as possible and spend as much of that time with the people who put a smile on my face.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Reeva and I am a full-time graduate student, therapist in training, and food blogger. I am currently a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology with a passion for women’s mental health. Outside of graduate school I spend time working on Semisweet Food, my food blog. Through my blog I like to share things that I bake, food I’ve tried, and shoutout local small business that I think deserve all the love! This blog has been a way for me to connect with the SoCal community and serves as a reminder for me to continue to pursue my little passions, even as I work towards my big ones.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad taught me the most about having a good work ethic. Through the wisdom he imparted on me and the observations I’ve made as I watched him navigate his professional career, he taught me the importance of patience and perseverance. Growing up in an age where I and many others are used to instant gratification, my dad made sure that I knew not to expect the same if I wanted to build a durable career. And that might be part of the reason I went straight into a five year doctoral program three months after getting my bachelors degree. In truth I can be a pretty impatient person, but I was ready to persevere for the sake of achieving my goal of become a psychologist. As I finish up graduate school, my goals for my career are laid out in front of me and I am choosing to approach each one with the same patience and perseverance I learned from my dad. My dad told me that to be a leader, you have to work your way to the top and nix the expectation that it will be handed to you. This taught me to not only make a continuous effort to prove my skillset and value the experience I gain, but to also know my worth and keep my eye on the prize.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
One of the most defining wounds of my life was the pain and grief I experienced after the loss of my cousin, Rajiv. He was a brother to me, and my first best friend. Losing him blew every sense of safety and certainty I had out of the water. And though my whole family experienced the loss, my grief made me feel very alone. It has been almost 11 years since we lost him, and I see very clearly how his passing molded me into the person I am. As someone who experienced prolonged grief, I initially sought the field of psychology with hopes to find some ways to heal. Not only was I able to do that, but I also discovered a passion that led me to my career of choice. His loss also impacted the way I connect with people both personally and professionally. It is the reason I care more for people’s stories than their credentials. It is also the reason I try to remain as present and consistent as possible with my family and friends. Getting to show your love to the people you love is a privilege to me, and doing so helps me feel less alone, even in the moments that I am by myself. Grieving Rajiv’s loss taught me that people will come and they may go, but I find comfort in knowing that my love for them is something that cannot be taken from me.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
What I share publicly are pieces of the real me. As a teenager I found it exhausting to try and mold myself to everyone’s liking, but I did it all the time. Half of it was from not knowing myself yet, and the other half of it was from being a people pleaser. All of that to say that as I grew into myself, I found no value in fronting anymore. I am not someone who enjoys sharing my entire life online, however the things I do share are very much a big part of who I am. Food blogging is my hobby, and I give it as much time as I can. I like to eat, I like to make food, and bake cakes, but most importantly I like to make people hungry! So, I do it both publicly and privately to make as many of my friends and family as hungry as possible.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
My hope is that after I live a full life, the wisdom I’ve shared with people, as well as the meals that I’ve shared with them, is how they will remember me. Maybe it is unusual, but I don’t see my life story being of any significance to anyone. The story of my life is one that I am writing just for myself. However, the conversations I have with people, and the food that I force them to eat is the true essence of who I am what I hope lives beyond me, even if it’s only for a little bit. Those are the things that I think I am good at, and am working to become better at as my life story unfolds. I have shared and will continue to share good conversation and good food with as much love and intention as I possibly can. It is the way that I know how to connect with people, how to help them feel better, and how I contribute to the world around me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semisweetfood?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=HbDS0z4z-Sfuw0zg4vYo5w

Image Credits
N/A (All images are my own)