I’m not only a (soon-to-be) newbie in Boston, but a personal blog is also quite a new step for me. I just want to pen down my experience so far on how I’ve dealt with a sudden change in my life. For an Indian woman, the biggest change would be her wedding, and mine is making me move to Boston, away from my close and dear ones, away from the city i grew up in. Thanks to the visa issues, I’ll have to start fresh, in spite of being a double post graduate with more than 6 years of work experience. But you gotta do what you gotta do.. And this time, it was a decision taken by the heart.
Every girl in India goes through a phase where everyone they meet or talk to, suddenly is so concerned about the girl’s future and wants her to get married ASAP. Even if she is only 18, she’s too old and probably won’t get a suitable husband. Well, my family wasn’t that bad, but I was in a difficult situation. I was going through a break up, and I was clearly not over that person, and on the side, I was being forced to see suitable boys for an “arranged marriage”. I did see a couple of boys, but I didn’t think I was cut out for an arranged marriage. It’s not easy to meet a person for an hour or so and decide if you want to get married to him or not. I was hearing similar complaints from other people my age as well. My friends were either expecting, married, engaged or looking out. I started to believe that everything happens for a reason, and whatever happens, happens for the best. And suddenly, my life changed.
In December 2015, my ‘soon-to-be hubby’ came into my life as more than just a friend.. Well, we have been friends for more than a decade, but now it was different. Within a week we started dating, and within a month our parents had met. In February 2016, our marriage was fixed and he flew away leaving me teary eyed with both the families. Suddenly every minute counted, It wasn’t only the time difference, but the fact that I would be leaving my beloved city and moving away from the two most special people in my life – my mom and my niece. I was learning to live with it, trying my best not to think about it, living each day as it comes. Long distance and time difference started taking it’s toll on me, and I did end up doing or saying things I’m not quite proud of. A few months later, I flew out of the city to meet my hubby-to-be, and he welcomed me with a biiiiig hug and some cute balloons and chocolates. I am not exaggerating, but life did seem more colorful. I could see how much he missed me.. And, it made me feel very special. To top it all, he proposed to me – at a romantic place with great ambience and a beautiful sunset in the background. We were 132 floors above the ground level, and down a couple of drinks, when he went down on his knee and asked me to marry him. The heart shaped diamond ring is definitely till date my most prized possession. Staying with him, in his surroundings for almost a month, gave me a complete different perspective of him and how he leads his life. I think when you travel with someone, you can actually figure if you can live with the person or not, and he didn’t do quite bad, Even though our methods and ideas differ, I think we make great travel companions. New cities, almost a weeklong road trip and seeing the US Independence day celebration together, I think that month is forever etched in my heart. It was very difficult to part ways, but both of us managed to put on a brave face, tears threatening to drop out, gave one last hug and walked away.
Once I was back home, thankfully there were too many distractions. Focus on work, getting to know my new family better, catching up with my family and friends, planning trips, video conferencing with my cutie, and a lot more happening then.
He plans a sudden trip to visit me and finish off his shopping for our wedding. I was really looking forward to it, but we had our ups and downs. I saw another side of him. I understood what pressure and stress can do to a person. He flew back in no time and we were back to video conferencing.
Today, with just 25 days left for him to come down again and 41 days for the wedding, I’m excited, scared, nervous, a lot of emotions actually. I am happy we’re getting married but I’m scared of starting fresh in a new city. I’m excited to start living with him, but I’m upset about leaving all my roots behind. I do get emotional a lot of times thinking about leaving my friends and family behind, especially, when my mom starts crying at the drop of a hat. My best distraction right now is planning my wedding – that includes shopping, venue, decoration, food, etc. It’s quite a task you know, but by the end of it, I’m going to be a pro.
I’m looking forward to moving, making new friends and living responsibly and independently. I’m sure every day will have a new lesson to learn, but with his support and love, I’m sure I’ll face each day with a smile.