Life in the U.S - A Wood Anniversary Memoir

Exactly five years ago today, I came to the US for the first time. Still remember the day as if it were yesterday. The burnt orange Texas sun, people driving on the “other” side of the road, my first glimpse of the Forty Acres (Univ. of Texas at Austin) are the memories I have of that day. Wow, what a journey it has been since!

I have been a student, a part-time employee, an intern, a TA, and a professional during this period. I have had rough times and smooth and have taken the rough with the smooth, most times. It is unbelievable that I have spent 5 of my 26 years in life, in the US. It doesn’t feel that long. The highlights include having a whale of a time studying and teaching at UT, Graduation Day in Dec 2003, watching the Aus-Ind cricket series without a job, moving to Houston, thousands of miles in road trips, vacations and settling down (for now) in sunny Orlando. The lowlights and “this too shall pass” moments have been few and far between and when they have happened, they have made me come out of them a tougher man. As I try to compare this life with my score of years in India, I cannot say one is better than the other. All I can conclude is that they are merely “different” from each other. They are almost like two people, each with their own flaws and merits. I do miss home but then I wanted to come here when I was home. As they say “The other side of the grass, is indeed, always green”.

What’s left to say but “While the path trodden thus far has been rose-strewn, there’s still a lot of miles to go before I sleep…”

PS: I just remembered that today was end of 5 years and said to myself “what the heck; let me fill my blog up with something philosophical and reflective that I will have a good laugh at, a year or two from now!”