A few readers have recently posted comments around the blog to the effect of “should I move to India?”. The topic has created quite a bit of interest, so I thought the best way to bring the discussion together would be to create a separate post about it.
Without a doubt, moving to India does require a lot of adjustment. It’s easy to underestimate how hard life can be in India. Personally, I’ve found that living in India is VERY different to travelling in India. It’s definitely necessary to come with the right frame of mind, and for the right reasons. Otherwise, the day to day frustrations and challenges will completely wear your down.
So what are the right (and wrong) reasons? According to reader input, right and wrong reasons include the following.
Reasons to Move to India
- To create a new life.
- To enjoy new experiences.
- Because you like the culture.
Reasons NOT to Move to India
- To escape from problems at home.
- To try and recreate a better version of the life you’re already living at home.
I’ve moved the relevant comments from readers to this post.
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Related Posts:
- Adapting to and Retaining Indian Customs
- Let’s Talk About Hindi
- My New Year’s Resolutions 2009
- Challenges With Indian-Foreigner Marriages
- 5 Things About India that Attract Me
- Fear Over Moving to Mumbai
- Finally Finding My Feet in Mumbai?
- Small Changes I’ve Noticed in Myself
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I agree with Dev. I myself am an Indian (but of mixed origin and I grew up mainly in the US) and I think that the new generation is just so different. When I recently visited India, I was quite shocked to see the number of western wannabe’s. I’ve met so many Indians who’ve lived their whole life in India and refuse to speak their mother-tongue coz it’s not “cool” anymore.
This reminds me of a article that I read recently where it stated “As America and other Western countries are leading to a more conservative end of the spectrum, developing countries like India are heading to a more and more liberal end of the spectrum. This could produce quite disastrous results.”
Also in a mixed culture marriage (10 yrs) I am a first generation American (Scandinavian parents) my husband an NRI (I am a PIO) and our little son is from a Latin American country. We are moving to India for half a year for work. Having lived in Western countries other than the US, for me, the concept of living in India is both an exciting and challenging thought; especially regarding finding a kindergarten for our child. I think the only way for anyone to fit into another culture – like India – is to try and give up expectations and be willing to go with the flow. I might miss my Coffee Mate but I look forward to sari’s, fragrant spices, and sensory experiences. Great Blog! Thank you. Nameste.
Hi Lindia, it certainly seems that you’ve got the right attitude to appreciate your time in India. For all the things that you’ll have to give up, there truly is so much more to gain. I hope you’ll find India as fascinating as I do!
Another reason to move to India: work. We just spent 3 years in Mumbai and I had the most amazing work experience. Great people to work with, good humour, dedicated and motivated and overall many very professional working environments. And to see the huge economic, social and moral changes in the country is an opportunity that does not present itself often. It,s not a walk in the park, it is frustating and difficult at time, but we found it extremely rewarding.
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