On this day in 2007 I boarded a Lufthansa flight to come all across the Globe with two suitcases and a backpack. I had just enough money to sustain myself for one semester, and no experience on how to thrive in a foreign land where I practically knew no one. As you can tell, I spent a terrible birthday that year, and a very homesick Indian Independence Day. Alone at my dorm, I had asked myself "what am I doing here? Why did I come here?" when I didn't know what to eat, had to roam around the campus looking for a job, or didn't understand what the professor was saying in his heavy southern accent. Life was not easy. Now I look back and wonder what gave me, and hundreds of international students like me, the strength to continue. Perhaps because we have a habit of not giving up, or that we have been hardened by the extremely competitive academic situation in our home countries. Anyway, I survived.
And I survived happily.
My world, which was limited to an oversized family, some close friends and relatives, and mainly the Souther part of Calcutta suddenly exploded and encompassed people from all over the world. I realized what it meant to be a "people person" and to have leadership skills. By the next year, I had three celebrations for my birthday, including a midnight party, and on that Independence Day, I was the Secretary of the Association of Indian Students and I led everyone to sing the National Anthem.
At the completion of 10 years I am looking back and connecting the dots. What did I learn? What did I experience? I am getting amazed at what I found out.
The main thing I learned is independence. How to live alone. How to manage studies, work, grocery shopping, cleaning the place, file taxes, do everything a human being needs to do in order to live a decent life.
The second thing I learned is to appreciate people. In general I love being with people, but the different kinds of people I meet, I am realizing that we don't have to agree to everything to be friends. Even if I don't agree with some of their ideas, I found that they are basically good people. And at the end that is all that matters.
It is great to be exposed to new cultures, new foods, new places, new activities. Of the foods that top my most-favorite list, most of them are not stuff that I ate 10 years back. Activities like camping, hiking, or kayaking were almost unknown to me in India. On the other hand, my American friends now know the results of cricket matches that India plays, they hear bits and pieces about Indian politics, and we discuss international news. Having pets is another great experience for me which would be difficult in India (having three of them would be very difficult).
Travels to many places of the world has also been possible because of my wonderful husband. Not sure how this would have worked out in India, because I don't know if we would have met if we lived there :)
Simple joys like having my vegetable garden, walking with friends at downtown park, taking a comfortable bus ride to work, are things that I love too.
On top of everything, I'd say that fact that I can express myself, that I can be just what I am without trying to "fit in" to any expected role is what makes me feel this is truly "the land of the free".
PS: This is how I celebrated my "10th year in the country" with my international friends :) Yes, there were two celebrations!
And I survived happily.
My world, which was limited to an oversized family, some close friends and relatives, and mainly the Souther part of Calcutta suddenly exploded and encompassed people from all over the world. I realized what it meant to be a "people person" and to have leadership skills. By the next year, I had three celebrations for my birthday, including a midnight party, and on that Independence Day, I was the Secretary of the Association of Indian Students and I led everyone to sing the National Anthem.
At the completion of 10 years I am looking back and connecting the dots. What did I learn? What did I experience? I am getting amazed at what I found out.
The main thing I learned is independence. How to live alone. How to manage studies, work, grocery shopping, cleaning the place, file taxes, do everything a human being needs to do in order to live a decent life.
The second thing I learned is to appreciate people. In general I love being with people, but the different kinds of people I meet, I am realizing that we don't have to agree to everything to be friends. Even if I don't agree with some of their ideas, I found that they are basically good people. And at the end that is all that matters.
It is great to be exposed to new cultures, new foods, new places, new activities. Of the foods that top my most-favorite list, most of them are not stuff that I ate 10 years back. Activities like camping, hiking, or kayaking were almost unknown to me in India. On the other hand, my American friends now know the results of cricket matches that India plays, they hear bits and pieces about Indian politics, and we discuss international news. Having pets is another great experience for me which would be difficult in India (having three of them would be very difficult).
Travels to many places of the world has also been possible because of my wonderful husband. Not sure how this would have worked out in India, because I don't know if we would have met if we lived there :)
Simple joys like having my vegetable garden, walking with friends at downtown park, taking a comfortable bus ride to work, are things that I love too.
On top of everything, I'd say that fact that I can express myself, that I can be just what I am without trying to "fit in" to any expected role is what makes me feel this is truly "the land of the free".
PS: This is how I celebrated my "10th year in the country" with my international friends :) Yes, there were two celebrations!
