Worlds Apart..!

Sheer anxiety or excruciating excitement, call it what you may, is the biological experience that a 19 year Indian kid feels on the way to the International Airport knowing, in less than 24 hours she would be in a different time zone and a place where no one but the sky knows her. A bumpy flight, a connecting flight, extreme adrenaline rush, and a chill running down the spine. The audacity of this young girl to defy the odds of her orthodox family boundaries and fly oceans apart to realise what some may perceive as a dream.

Toronto is one of those cities which houses tens and thousands of such brave individuals. I say brave as I know what it is to be away. To be in a surrounding where uncertainty is your best friend. There are people who travelled in search of freedom and economic upgrade. And then there are youngsters who venture out looking for the grand stage of educational excellence.

There are a few things common amongst these migrants from all over the world. One is the passion they possess to succeed and the other is the grief they dwell in for being away from their own people, their country.

Do you know the plight of being removed from your comfort zone and expect you to swoop into a new system gracefully. But hey, look here, we all seem to be pros in this transition business. It doesn't take us to be super human to do that. It takes a lot of motivation, perseverance, and inspiration from people who have been doing this for years.

I met a woman on my way to school to whom I offered my seat on the bus. She had a twinkle in her eyes though her face spoke about the tiredness she was experiencing. She looked at me and asked if I were from India and it is one question I respond to like I could foresee the future..instantaneous!! Then she told me her story. I was in such awe to learn that she had traveled from Mumbai 35 years ago with her sister to make a successful career in baking. Well, she does have a small bakery today. The awe was not because she came to Toronto. It was because she never went back to Mumbai ever. For so many Toronto is now life, toronto is home! 

I have had my share of anxiety when I first travelled to Switzerland for my masters degree. The thing about this is that, even after years of travelling and the experience in living away from home, I still feel anxious, feel the uncontainable urge to just go back and embrace my city, my friends, my support system. But what do you know..here I am fighting the sub zero temperatures everyday, eating out of cans, and sitting in the subway sharing my thoughts and respect for those who brave the distance and look for progress.

Life is a book..Make yours the best seller..!

I leave you with a link to a beautiful song and video - http://youtu.be/UtF6Jej8yb4

Ragz