Q&A: Mother Doesn’t Support My Decision to Live in India

It has been my dream since childhood to live in India. I have lived my whole life in the USA and I visited India for the first time last year and confirmed my love for the country. I met a boy who I would consider marrying. I've tried to mention this to my mother and she screamed at me and said I've ruined her life and have to stay in the USA. I have Italian citizenship, so either way I'm going to leave the USA. My dream is to settle and marry in India! What should I do? Should I just not tell my family? They are mean and don't understand my deep feelings.

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I'm sorry your mother feels this way, it must have heartbreaking to hear her say that! There are a couple of things I would like to talk about. Firstly, visiting India and living in India are two very different experiences. The first time I came to India, I stayed for five weeks and thought living here would be a little hard at first but I would soon feel completely at home. It actually took me about two years to really feel settled in India, to understand the cultural divide enough not to get frustrated at absolutely everything that didn't fit my expectations. Have you considered coming to India for a prolonged stay before moving?

I'm not sure if I am mistaken, but from your message it seems that you are considering marrying an Indian so you can live in India. Please, don't marry someone for this reason. If I have misread your message, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. When you move abroad for love, it's of paramount importance that your spouse is supportive, understanding and open to discussing the dynamics of the country so you are able to learn and understand where you are both coming from if cultural conflict arises.

Finally, your well-being will be your mother's priority, even if she is hurting you now, it's most likely because she is worried that you will get hurt in some way. She might have preconceived ideas about India and be confused by your decision. Give her space and time for it to sink in, it would have been a huge shock. Not only that, she will miss you.

My advice would be to visit India again before making a permanent move, to get to know this guy better and to give your mother an opportunity to make peace with the idea. Perhaps try to find an internship or something similar. I wouldn't just leave without telling them, it's best to be honest and to try to reassure them that you haven't taken this decision lightly. If they still don't support you, at least they know where you are. Sending love.

Dear Readers, Do you have any advice, experience or a fresh perspective to offer? (Helpful and respectful comments only)

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