This year has been the most pivotal, as an immigrant in the United States. For one, this is the first time I was asked at least twenty times what I thought about living in the States. For all of ten years this question has not made it's way into my life. If ever it was only asked in reference to family, as they all live in India. I was not surprised to receive the questions, I was surprised that I didn't have a good answer for a long time.
After much deliberation I decided to share my thoughts a few weeks back on my YouTube channel. You can check out the video below. Please note that my opinions are based on my experiences and in no way am I trying to speak for someone else or stating that one country is better than the other. It is simply a matter of preference and your life goals.
MY THOUGHTS IN 2017
MY THOUGHTS FROM 2015
Here are few other questions that I have received on the topic:
Why did you move to U.S.?
Would you ever move back to India? If given a choice I would prefer to live in U.S. I like my life here. I feel at peace. The city and neighborhood I live in is in sync with the lifestyle I aspire to lead. I do not see any reason to change that. Do you miss your family? Honestly? Not really! I have be away from home since the age of 18. I stay in touch with everyone, thanks for technology. I do see them often. Everyone is busy in their lives and after a point it doesn't really matter where you stay. I would not see them any more than I do now, if I lived in another Indian city than the one they reside in. The only time I feel homesick is during the festivals and weddings. What are the pros and cons of living in U.S.? I have to say that this list would vary from person to person depending upon what you want from life. For me the pros are: social culture, financial etiquettes, lack of bureaucracy, sense of safety (as a woman), simpler lifestyle choices, less interference (from family, neighbors, the whole nine yards), and lots of personal space. The cons are: physical distance from India (long flights) and now the thread of racism (relatively). What are the pros and cons of living in India? The pros (for me) would have to be: close to family, get to travel around India often, get to wear saree often, and be able to eat Indian mangoes and lychees (in summers). The cons however outweigh the weigh the pros for me (and I am already expecting some angry feedback from readers post reading this!): litter on the streets, eve-teasing and no sense of personal safety, poor social etiquettes and habits, shameless staring from both men and women, non-stop gossip and drama all around.
And re-stating something I mentioned to one of the readers - living abroad is definitely a mixed bag of emotions. At any instance I do not mean to imply that U.S. (or any other country) is better than India. My thoughts are derived from my experiences and from the perspective of what I want in life. No matter where we choose to live there will always be pro and cons. India is indeed beautiful and truly home (for me) but I am choosing to live in U.S. because I feel mentally at peace here.
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