“We’re moving.”
“Okay.”
Never did I imagine that the move in question would last for 10 years, encompassing my upper elementary, middle and high school years. Never did I imagine that, when I came back to the country of my birth from India, the country of my heritage, I would realize a multitude of things my international, decade-long move taught me.
1. Not everyone is nice, approachable and friendly.
India as a country is filled to the brim with people (with over one billion people packed into an area of 2,973,193 square kilometers). While we do have the bad seeds in the family, most Indians are absolutely lovely, ready and willing to help or provide whatever they can to do so. During my time there, each and every adult I encountered was a new parent, raising me with affection and genuine concern, and every friend was a new sibling, helping me through my time there. All these people sheltered me from the harsh reality that not everybody is just like them, which became blatantly apparent when I asked for the time in Boston’s Logan Airport and all I got was a dirty glance in return.
2. Hot, sunny weather is not something to be taken for granted.
As a more sun-loving person, I quickly realized that, although I landed in the USA in late spring, the weather was a little chilly for my taste. My sister then hastily informed me that this weather was in fact normal and that I’d been living in a frying pan for the last decade. Regardless, it took me a couple of weeks and many weird stares (for wearing a jacket in late May with the mercury at 72 degrees Fahrenheit) to get used to the moderate climate, by which time I was sorely missing the 90-plus degree heat of my old home and slowly regretting all the times I complained about it.
3. In the USA, you have to do all your errands by yourself.
While I was granted the cheap luxury of having someone else do our family’s laundry, dishes, and ironing for the last 10 years, I was sorely underprepared for the amount of things I would have to do myself once I landed back here. I quickly realized that having someone else do those things here would rack up a sizable bill, leading to me learning to do my own chores for myself. It wasn’t hard; it was just new.
4. It’s very quiet. Almost eerily quiet.
Cramming a lot of people into a small area is bound to lead to an above-average constant decibel level. The almost-perpetual noises of cars honking, people shouting, construction, and temples created an environment I got used to and learned to relax in. However, stepping off the plane had me reeling slightly simply because of how quiet and peaceful it was almost everywhere. In fact, it was so quiet that it had my ears ring, which is significantly louder than India ever was.
5. Opportunities are everywhere here.
As a student in India, it was incredibly difficult to find work, which is why I turned to writing online. Even then, potential employers/blogging websites tended to reject me immediately simply because of my location and the time zone difference, along with the problematic, automatic assumption that my English was sub-par. As soon as I landed in the USA, however, I was immediately able to apply to several websites and companies as representatives and remote bloggers, simply because of my location. While this shouldn’t be the case, especially with online work, I am grateful that I moved back home to pursue my dreams and take advantage of all the opportunities offered to me.
