The Place
You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person - Alec Waugh
It has been quite a while that I
haven't written and pen down certain things that has come across. I have been
searching for an interesting topic and usually like writing about things that I
relate to, something that I have experienced and gone through. Stumbling upon
various thoughts I found an interesting one, I realised how 'places' affect and
shape us into different individuals all together !
It is said that a person is known
from the 'Place' that he belongs to or comes from! I would totally agree to
this thought, however what if a person does not belong to one specific place ?
It is interesting to think about the life of a nomad who doesn't ever settle
down in one single place. They are always on the move, experiencing and
adapting to different environments.
Relating this view to my life, I
wouldn't say I have experienced a million changes but the ones that I have,
have been rock solid and worth every bit of it! Being born and brought up in
the Milk City of the world's largest
democracy, Anand - India, it holds a special and undeletable place in my
heart. And I guess everyone is attached to the place where they are born.
Having lived there for the first seventeen years of my life, it has been a
pleasurable experience to be the princess of your house, apple of your parent's
eye and comfortable in the skin of your town. Every road seems to know you and
every cafe joint seems to welcome you. There are small peculiar things and
homely feelings about small towns that a 'city' person would never understand.
Having stayed there enough, I
wanted to experience a life on my own terms and learn new things. A place where
I am the only person responsible for myself and my deeds. A place where I can
start afresh, carve my career and experience life - Real Life. One never really
does this if they stay at home (all my nomad friends would agree) Parents are
always the careful protective shadows who wouldn't ever let children make
mistakes or would let them ever get hurt. But sometimes you need to make mistakes,
get hurt in order to understand the real worth of everything and life in all.
It was time to Shift to the City that never sleeps - Mumbai, India.
It is a city that has always welcomed every person who enters and leaves them
with a magnetic attachment that makes them come back if not stay. There are
endless things that I can keep ranting about, but the most important thing that
I have learnt from the city is to Move On. In spite of Time being the only
constant it is the only thing that keeps changing, ironically true. I have the most memorable as well as horrible
experiences in my five year relation with the city. All of them, taken with a
pinch of salt is what I owe myself to - as a different individual with a
different outlook. The city has given me a lot and I hope I am able to give it
back all that love someday.
I am not sure if it is my destiny
or a nomadic life that I am living, I guess I had experienced a lot if not
enough of Mumbai and it was time to Go Global. Having currently moved to the
City of Dreams: London, UK I packed certain dreams, goals and ambitions with
me. Residing in Essex (near to London) the life is on a greener path with new
experiences, new people and most of all the instinct that it emits of 'making
your dreams come true' ! My short six month stint here has been an enjoyable
one with a lot of changes (good & bad) and is definitely shaping me into a
different and stronger individual which I am eternally grateful for.
Inspite of all the changes and
how each places cusps you into its warmth, every individual looks forward to
settle down in one place at some point of time. I might sound biased, but India
emits warmth and love that will always attract me and who I will always be
grounded to. While I look forward to and welcome the other changes and a
changed me, I would always like to carry a little piece of 'India' with me
everywhere :) Jai Ho!
