My journey to the US was nothing out of the blue. Like many others before me, I had come here with many aspirations. The biggest one, of course, was to receive the best undergraduate education and to go on to find a job that would finally reaffirm my belief that I was capable of creating my own destiny and that my financial constraints do not completely dictate my intellectual pursuits. Getting selected to study in one of the most prestigious women’s colleges in the US made it seemed like my dreams were suddenly becoming clear and my beliefs were turning into a reality.
Two years later, a place that I had once come for intellectual pursuits has now suddenly become a place for which I have developed some unknown sort of love. As I sit to write this article, I try to reason all possible things that transformed what once felt foreign to now yet another home that I have created for myself. Was it the opportunities that this place provided? Was it the diversity? What was it about this place that suddenly enticed me? What did it give me that it had not already given to millions of others before me? Why was I falling in love with it, as if it belonged to me?
This newly found independence about being away from home, a diverse culture, a platform to share own ideas without the fear of mockery or judgments. Were not these what had attracted many before me to come here to pursue their own “American dreams?” Then why was I feeling so special?
The answer was quite simple and had been right in front of my eyes for quite a few months now. Yet, I had just noticed it. I met someone for the first time in July 2014 at a beach town in Maryland. What was so special about him was the simplicity with which he led his life. I knew nothing about his ambitions except that he lived every moment to the fullest. Sometimes his childishness irritated me and other times his maturity surprised me. Today I wonder if the happiness of coming to the US, getting constant platforms for my personal intellectual growth, getting comfortable with my independence, would they all have been the same if he was not there to share those moments with?
When I first came here, I had only one goal to pursue; to get the best education which would land me a good job. But, he made me pause for a moment, to look at how far I had already come. He made me realize that most often we are so engrossed in trying to achieve our ambitions that we forget little things that really matter; like the joy of getting a warm hug from a friend, sharing your fears with someone at 2 am, or lying on the beach with someone you love as you stare at the sunrise.
Only today I realize that the reason why I feel so special in this place is because of the value of this friend in my life. Maybe my love for this place is my love for this friend. Maybe home indeed is where the heart is.
So, today I ask all of you to close your eyes; look at the place you live in from the perspective of someone you love. Maybe the place you live in will suddenly feel more beautiful than you had ever imagined. Maybe you will find a sense of permanence, a sentiment of belonging. Maybe the future will not feel so distant anymore. And maybe your dreams will suddenly start becoming clearer.
To the friend who made me see the beauty of living life by cherishing every minute of it - I miss you and I will always love you.
