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!
