DEPARTED FROM
Mumbai, India

ARRIVED IN
Kendall Park, New Jersey

YEAR
2007

AGE
24

COLLECTED BY

It was cold February day, typically looked like the day after a heavy snow storm. Snow flakes all around, cloudy, freezing cold for a girl like me who had been lived all 23 years of her life in a cozy city like Mysore, Karnataka where the temperature never dips down below 55 degrees fahrenheit. Added to that, I arrived soon after our wedding with my husband who was technically as new to me as the city was (tweaks of a typical arrange marriage which mostly everyone experiences) :) There was this mixed feelings which I experienced when I landed on the US soil. I was missing those familiar faces which I loved so much and never thought that I would one day fly away this far from them followed by the feeling of anticipation, apprehension, identity crisis which almost baffled me until I met Prasad in the airport (known acquaintance of my husband, happens to be our very good family friend now) who arrived to pick us and took us to their home (while listening to melodious kannada songs in their car which made me feel home right then) where we met his beautiful family (wife Hema, Kids and their parents). The way they embraced us with love is truly a memorable experience which gave me the kind of strength which was much needed at that time frame. It helped a lot in that cold depressive weather to have someone like them around on an unknown land. I remember not having a weather proof jacket or shoes for that kind of negative temperature and had to shop the very same night we landed. We spent 5 nights there at Prasad(s) and with much reluctance moved to our apartment to settle down for a year and found a sweet adobe to move to where we currently reside with a new addition to the family our adorable munchkin, our darling son :) Time flies... perhaps some first experiences of life can never be taken out of the memory rather it will always travel with you back in time to remind you of the true essences of life, our roots which pulls back to show us the truth and purpose of the living.