I know this post is extremely late but better late than never, right? For those of you that don’t know what Diwali is, it’s the festival of lights- it’s the biggest festivals here in India. It signifies a new beginning, and is spent with family. It’s also best known for the use of fireworks and firecrackers. Essentially, it’s awesome. Refer to some of my facebook pictures if need be :)
So on October 21st, I frantically turned in all sorts of papers/assignments/paperwork and got in a rickshaw to go to the Pune Airport. I was told it was extremely far away, and yet I got there within 25 minutes -_- And me being me, I got there about 4 hours before my flight even arrived… so I spent the time doing lots of people-watching, making new friends, and trying airport food- time well spent if you ask me. Once I was on the plane is when I realized I was heading back to a home I hadn’t been to in years. I wasn’t really sure what to expect considering I had not seen in Hyderabad in so long.
The first few days in Hyderabad were spent at my aunt’s house while the last few days were spent at my other aunt’s house. Looking back, I can’t believe how the 9 days went by so fast… but to summarize all of what I did while there, I saw family I haven’t seen in years- on both my mom’s and dad’s side. More important than simply seeing my family, I was able to talk to them, connect with them on a somewhat higher level considering I was no longer half a world away from them. It was incredible to see everyone. I felt so much love the entire time I was there- and it was great to see that everyone still felt the same way despite not having seen me for so many years.
I was also able to see the 4 homes in which my parents and I lived in Hyderabad before moving to the US. As I walked down all the little alleyways and roads, all I could think about was “wow I actually grew up here.” And for this reason, I am 100% glad I went to Hyderabad for Diwali break. One of the main reasons why I came to India was to reconnect to my roots—and I was able to do exactly this. In addition to seeing my family, I was reminded of my past- of where I come from—and ultimately it made me realize how far my parents and I have come. Moreover, it made me realize how much my parents sacrificed so I could have a better life. They left their families, their homes, the only worlds they knew to start entirely from scratch. It’s absolutely mind blowing to reflect on how much all three of us have grown up over the last 10 years. It’s even more mind blowing to think about all the experiences I’ve had, all the people I’ve encountered, and all the opportunities I’ve been presented with. There’s much more I could say but I’d go on for pages and that would just be painful for everyone, so I think I’ll stop here and say: I’m incredibly lucky. And no amount of words in the world are enough to thank those who have helped me get to where I am today (including every single family member).
I was also able to see the 4 homes in which my parents and I lived in Hyderabad before moving to the US. As I walked down all the little alleyways and roads, all I could think about was “wow I actually grew up here.” And for this reason, I am 100% glad I went to Hyderabad for Diwali break. One of the main reasons why I came to India was to reconnect to my roots—and I was able to do exactly this. In addition to seeing my family, I was reminded of my past- of where I come from—and ultimately it made me realize how far my parents and I have come. Moreover, it made me realize how much my parents sacrificed so I could have a better life. They left their families, their homes, the only worlds they knew to start entirely from scratch. It’s absolutely mind blowing to reflect on how much all three of us have grown up over the last 10 years. It’s even more mind blowing to think about all the experiences I’ve had, all the people I’ve encountered, and all the opportunities I’ve been presented with. There’s much more I could say but I’d go on for pages and that would just be painful for everyone, so I think I’ll stop here and say: I’m incredibly lucky. And no amount of words in the world are enough to thank those who have helped me get to where I am today (including every single family member).
Onto the next post regarding the weeks afterwards in Pune!
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