The Classic Questions?

Should I or should I not move back? Maybe now is not the right time. Let's do it 2 years from now. Or when my son/daughter will be in 1st grade, that will be the perfect time. Or when my parents really need me back home. Or I am doing well in my career and will have to start all over again. Or let me get my green card/citizenship first so that I can go back if I don't like it. Or what will I do back home? India doesn't have the kind of work I am into. Or India has really changed and is a different country now than what I grew up in. Or looking at all the rape cases being reported, do women really have a place in India? Or if I won't find the right job near my home town, then how different is it to stay in the US and/or in a different city in India. My parents anyways visit me once a year. Why, when, how, where and the list goes on.

These are all classic questions and I can go on and on with them. And disappointingly for some, the fact is they will never end. Yes, they are all valid questions. It's important to consider them as this is a big decision or I should say, most people see it that way. And to further disappoint you, I cannot offer you solutions. Nor I can offer you any advice. And you may ask why? Well, to give you a short answer, my goal is to give you my perspective in how I have approached these questions. One has to lead his own way and find what's best for his/her family. But let me tell you a little secret. Coming to the US or any other developed country was a decision you took using your brain. The return journey's remote control is with the heart.

Some prefer not to ask most or any of these questions. Some just move with the flow. This is not about right or wrong. But rather than floating in a river and going wherever the river took me, I preferred stepping out. Standing on the shore and watching where it led. Asking myself where I wanted to go. And whether it was the right course for me. Because if it's not, it may be too late to walk back. Nothing wrong in exploring where that river takes you as long as one comes to terms with it. Alright, enough of philosophy :)

I returned to India in July 2013 after a stay of 9 years in the US (mostly in New York City). In the coming posts I will go into some details about how I answered the million dollar question "des or pardes"? But I want to end this post with one last question. Your organization/company, at the beginning of every year, asks you about your individual goals -- short term and long term. They ask you how your short term goals align with your long term goals. So if you are facing some or all of the questions above, just try to ask yourself why you haven't worked towards aligning your goals to something bigger. Maybe that will help you think about this in a different way because in the end only one thing will matter -- Did you live your life the way you wanted? 

I plan to follow up this post with "The Classic Comparison". I would love to hear your thoughts on this post.