I always knew that 2018 was going to be that year for me — the one that would stand out, the one that would make me step out of my comfort zone, the one that would finally make me feel like an adult who did taxes and got excited for a grocery trip. I always knew that I was going to go abroad, ever since I was 16. I was the kid who read the Postcard column in The Hindu every week, and wondered when my time to narrate my experiences would come.
My journey and stay in the U.S. have surpassed my expectations. Before leaving India, I had never travelled in a flight before, never left my family for more than a week, and never been on a journey alone to pursue my dreams. In the past few months, I have travelled across the country, from Texas, to Tennessee, Minnesota and Washington.
Larger than life
The U.S. is known as the land of opportunities, and rightly so. I expected the quality of research and education here to be amazing but I was astonished at the sheer scale of research which universities conducted, and I marvelled at the esoteric stuff that students seemed to be involved in. Adapting to a new country was particularly challenging. Sunny Texas, with its ‘howdy’s’, large pick-up trucks, cuisine and the friendly folk was a good welcome. I have absolutely fallen in love with the place and the warmth of the people.
Responsibilities
As I write this, I have a few deadlines ahead of me, and projects and coursework to take care of. The art of procrastination is something I mastered back home, but in graduate school, it brings nothing but misery and bad grades. During the weekends, I tick mundane but essential tasks such as laundry and cleaning off my to-do list. The responsibilities and expectations we have from ourselves, paying off student loans, keeping up with research and coursework, managing part-time jobs to make money, applying for internships and jobs during this uncertain visa situation, all while dealing with the stress of being far away from the ones we love — it isn’t easy. But the joy one gets when an email begins with ‘Congratulations!’ instead of ‘Thank you for applying...’ is something that cannot be described by mere words.
This year has taught me about life, love, being responsible, facing rejection, the importance of having people you love by your side and most importantly, to rise again and lead life on your own terms. To aspirants wishing to live or get an experience of the American Dream, I wish you all the best and hope you have the courage to face all that life throws at you. It is worth the chase.
Vani Sumohitha Japa is pursuing Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, the U.S.
