Blue, Green, Red, Yellow…….

Blue, green, red, yellow….oh no, these are not the names of the houses we used to have back in school! Fall is here finally! The clear blue sky, the verdant green lawns and of course the vibrant red and yellows of the tree leaves as they start to change colors as fall advances. These colorfully contrasting combinations coupled with scenic roads and tree-lined pathways in the campus, make you want to be outdoors all the time. The cool breeze and slight chill in the air adds to the ‘ooohh-factor’.

The change from summer to fall is one of the most beautiful season changes I have witnessed. Just thought of using this as a metaphor as to how my life here has undergone a change. Though not such a radical change like the color spectrum from green to red, life does undergo minor tweaking!

The rate of leaves falling from the trees is directly proportional to the number of home works, assignments, projects and papers falling on us. But surprisingly, we get so used to such a schedule, that we still find time to celebrate Diwali, watch the movie premiere of Harry Potter, get together for dinner with F.R.I.E.N.D.S (pun intented).

Every season has something new to offer, adds some new spark to your life. This fall in Raleigh has also taught me the same in more ways than one!

CHOICES, CHANGES, CHALLENGES………..

Choices induce changes….changes give rise to challenges, and how you face these challenges gives each person an identity. Surprisingly, I experienced all three in a short span of one month, which got me wondering how I have evolved as a person. Were my choices right? Did I accept the changes in good spirit? Did I rise up to challenges?

One of the biggest choices of my life up till now was the decision to pursue a Master’s degree. It was a choice that took me away from my comfort zone, the protective cocoon called home sweet home. It was a choice that took me away from my family, my best friends, my favorite coffee places, my city and of course from my country. Far, far away…..My father told me, “Fly, I will give you wings…”….and he did. My parents, the single most driving force in my life whole heartedly supported me in this choice. It was their encouragement, strong motivation and the staunch belief in me that played the most important role as I readied myself to take off.

A choice, it was an aspiration to study ahead, to focus my career…and changed my life it did! It was a change from the most trivial things like the brand of detergent, cookies instead of biscuits to bigger things that really matter. It was a change in the way of life, change in people I live with. I suddenly found myself in this whole new world! It was a new country, a new city, new people, a new culture. It is a culture where ‘me’ and ‘myself’ are the most important words. Close friends, casual outings are few. But it is a culture where ‘freedom’ is also a very important word. Every person is free to choose his way of life, free to choose a career path. It is a culture which allows you to break free from the stereotypical way of life that we are so used to living.

Challenges become the way of life here. Right from when I first kept foot on American soil, every day has been a challenge. It is a challenge to get out of the ‘homesick’ mode, making friends, consolidating relationships with new people, building a support system for oneself and finally making your house a home…..The course throws up different types of challenges- learning on your own, being curious, having that thirst for knowledge, struggling with assignments. There comes a time when the feeling of helplessness, frustration creeps in. It seems like there is a void in your life. Overcoming that, is a challenge too. In this short span of a month, I went through all this. I have now begun to see things in a different perspective. I can feel that it is slowly reflecting in who I am as a person. I believe learning and accepting that is a challenge too. But at the end I would like to say, just like the way Bollywood masala movies end, all is well…….

THE TALE OF TWO CITIES – A JOURNEY FROM PUNE TO RALEIGH

Excitement soon turned to anxiety as I walked down the steps of my home finally, and readied myself for a long journey, traversing 13000 km to settle down half way round the globe. It is a weird feeling to go away to a far off country, especially when you leave so much behind. Family, your home, friends, usual kattas, favourite paani-puri and coffee joints….

The excitement, a few weeks before going suddenly becomes something else as the day to leave draws closer and the realization of the finality dawns. I too went through a similar change of moods which is when I decided to consciously change the way I looked at it. I didn’t leave anything behind I just carried everything along with me- the love, warmth, friendship remains with me!

I waved out one last time to my family in the visitor’s gallery at the Mumbai Airport when the feeling of being “on my own” sunk in. Completing the formalities, we were finally ready for take-off. As the plane taxied down the runway, there was a rush of adrenaline. The lights of Mumbai-the city that never sleeps slowly disappeared below us as we steadily gained altitude and settled down for a long flight. Movies, songs, precious sleep kept us busy in the flight. Though I sat back to enjoy James Cameroon’s magnum opus, Avatar on the flight, nothing compares the sight of the magnum opus called the “United States of America”! The skyline of New York- the Big Apple came to focus. We marveled at the perfectly planned city, the long bridges, the skyscrapers and wondered how the twin towers would have looked had they been standing today.

The flamboyant airhostess on the American Airlines flight welcomed us on our flight to Raleigh (btw, its Raa-lee guys! :P) And the final leg of a long journey brought us to Raleigh, the capital city of the beautiful state of North Carolina. Looking down through the plane window, Raleigh comes across as a cozy city, nestled among trees. Though not jazzy or fancy like New York, Raleigh has its own charm and we were sure it would be another Pune for us!

Before coming here, I was a bit apprehensive about how to adjust to a new country, new people, new way of life. But it was after coming here that I realized how easy it was. People here are very friendly. Even the bus drivers greet every person climbing on saying, “Hey! How you doin!” This especially was a different experience from India where bus drivers would probably just say “Lavkar chadha!”

The airport pick up dropped me off to a senior student’s place for temporary accommodation. Ketaki, welcomed me in with a broad smile. The homely atmosphere, home food, left me feeling so comfortable that I never got a chance to be homesick! It was so flattering that everyone would come and ask about my day, cook something for me, suggest good places to go, shop. It was an experience that made me promise myself that next year when the next batch comes in, I would make sure I do the same.

Moving into our new apartment was hectic, but exciting. Dragging the bag along from Champions Court to Avery Close, I was so sure these bags would never allow themselves to be strolled again! A few hiccups later, we were ready to move into our new apartment, #205. The sight of the apartment itself makes you fall in love with it. Carefully maintained trees and well manicured lawns welcome you to our cute little townhouse. A duplex, there is a huge living room, a nice kitchen and balcony looking over the backyard. Second level hosts the bedrooms (read mess :P). The four of us had a great time moving in, deciding what goes where, lugging sofas, tables and lamps to their places. Making great plans for decorating the living room, arranging the kitchen never made us realize how days passed by!

And now as I sit every morning on the doorstep of our house drinking coffee and having breakfast, with birds twittering around me, waving out to the odd person walking by, cooking by ourselves, having bouts of uncontrollable laughter, managing shopping, groceries, laundry, enjoying an evening walk to the lake, I feel like saying- Everyone, I am back home!