Alright people! I am back! This post has been in the wings for almost 2 months now! I simply can't find a better time than this - 1:00 am on a sunday, just 4 days before I marry my knight in a shining armor! As I look back at my life so far, a life with the best set of parents one could ever ask for, 2 sets of relatives (can't thank God enough for that now, can I!!!), an awesome set of friends, lot of good luck and enriching experiences. Yup, that sums it all so far! As I count days for my new adventure to begin, I am glad I got to check every single item listed below:
1. Live in a foreign country by yourself for at least a year
Living in your home country, you are always spoilt for choices. You know what to do, where to go, whom to contact to get things done. Well, if you don't then you'll always know someone who can help you out! All easy equals no fun! Starting your life from the scratch in a foreign country? Now we are talking!
Why at least a year you ask? Well, thats about the time frame when you transform from a tourist to visitor to an almost local! When people start asking you for directions, you know you belong there! (even if you can't help them out!) The confidence that living alone gives you - unparalleled.
2. Travel
Travel is big for me. It should be, for everyone! I mean come on, doesn't it kill you to know that there are at least a million places on God's green earth that deserve a visit - a task that no one will every be able to complete. But hey, no harm getting started now, is there?
3. Understand and respect different culture
I am an Indian. We don't wear bikinis or indulge in casual relations. (YA RIGHT!) Now that I am done lying, I think its high time we shed inhibitions about different cultures and invest some time understanding them. You don't have to follow them if you don't like, but if you look closely there are always similarities that bond all of us together! You learn so much more about your roots and the clouds hovering your judgement tend to float away!
4. Make friends (too easy?) of different nationalities! (still easy and a lot more fun!)
I was surprised to see how intrigued people are about knowing "how things work back home". (I am personally gonna stab someone if I had to explain a hindu wedding process/ drama for the nth time!) But hey, when you have an american, a Mexican, a Japanese and an Indian at a table, other than a recipe for an almost perfect joke you indulge in conversations you never knew you were capable of!
5. Strengthen relations
In the super sonic speed of today's life, everything is secondary - health, family and pretty much everything is a far second to work and the money it brings along. Just remember, no one on the death bed ever thinks "I should have done more overtime at office". The main regret remains not spending enough time with people who matter. Pick up that phone, call a friend from college/ school/ work/a language class you might have taken, who at one point meant something to you but slowly got erased midst the pile of money you began collecting! Build new relations and strengthen the existing ones.
6. Fall in love
This one's my favorite. Fall in love at least once, with a person who truly deserves you and understands your worth. Give it all you got coz if the person is indeed you Ms/ Mr Right, you'll not regret it one bit. If not, you are one step closing to finding him/ her as you now have to encounter one less!
1. Live in a foreign country by yourself for at least a year
Living in your home country, you are always spoilt for choices. You know what to do, where to go, whom to contact to get things done. Well, if you don't then you'll always know someone who can help you out! All easy equals no fun! Starting your life from the scratch in a foreign country? Now we are talking!
Why at least a year you ask? Well, thats about the time frame when you transform from a tourist to visitor to an almost local! When people start asking you for directions, you know you belong there! (even if you can't help them out!) The confidence that living alone gives you - unparalleled.
2. Travel
Travel is big for me. It should be, for everyone! I mean come on, doesn't it kill you to know that there are at least a million places on God's green earth that deserve a visit - a task that no one will every be able to complete. But hey, no harm getting started now, is there?
3. Understand and respect different culture
I am an Indian. We don't wear bikinis or indulge in casual relations. (YA RIGHT!) Now that I am done lying, I think its high time we shed inhibitions about different cultures and invest some time understanding them. You don't have to follow them if you don't like, but if you look closely there are always similarities that bond all of us together! You learn so much more about your roots and the clouds hovering your judgement tend to float away!
4. Make friends (too easy?) of different nationalities! (still easy and a lot more fun!)
I was surprised to see how intrigued people are about knowing "how things work back home". (I am personally gonna stab someone if I had to explain a hindu wedding process/ drama for the nth time!) But hey, when you have an american, a Mexican, a Japanese and an Indian at a table, other than a recipe for an almost perfect joke you indulge in conversations you never knew you were capable of!
5. Strengthen relations
In the super sonic speed of today's life, everything is secondary - health, family and pretty much everything is a far second to work and the money it brings along. Just remember, no one on the death bed ever thinks "I should have done more overtime at office". The main regret remains not spending enough time with people who matter. Pick up that phone, call a friend from college/ school/ work/a language class you might have taken, who at one point meant something to you but slowly got erased midst the pile of money you began collecting! Build new relations and strengthen the existing ones.
6. Fall in love
This one's my favorite. Fall in love at least once, with a person who truly deserves you and understands your worth. Give it all you got coz if the person is indeed you Ms/ Mr Right, you'll not regret it one bit. If not, you are one step closing to finding him/ her as you now have to encounter one less!
