Shoe Trees - the life extenders for your shoes

Have you heard about "Shoe Trees"? It is hard to guess the application/purpose of this device, with just its name. Recently, I came to know about this device from a friend of mine, who has been there in US for 30+ years. We both were attending a trade show and our conversation led to my brand new shoes. I told him that this is the costliest pair of shoes that I ever bought. He asked  what do you do to maintain your shoes or extend its life? I was puzzled with his question. He continued to ask "Do you know that there is a way to keep the shoes from smelling bad?" He said, you should buy "Shoe Trees" and shared with me lots of interesting details about it.

Shoe Trees are very commonly used in US. The main purpose of Shoe Trees is to absorb moisture from the shoes and there by, extend the shoes' life and prevent the shoes from smelling bad. It looks like many young kids are forced by their parents to use Shoe Trees. Parents do not want to spend big bucks on high quality shoes and that too, not very often. Hence, they wanted the kids to use Shoe Trees to extend the Shoes' life. Moreover, kids get involved in intense activities and hence it makes sense for them to use Shoe Trees to absorb moisture from their shoes. Once you return home in the evening, you just need to insert these Shoe Trees into your shoes and leave them for the whole night. They'll take care of the remaining job.

On hearing about Shoe Trees, I was wondering, why "Shoe Trees" aren't very common in India. In fact, our feet get moist easily because of the hot weather in India. I guess the economics are making Shoe Trees unaffordable? In US, Shoe Trees are sold anywhere from $20 - $40. In India, many people cannot afford shoes. And the ones who buy shoes look for a bargain and end up buying shoes for half that cost. Also, because of the excessive wear & tear of shoes in India, you cannot technically "extend" the life of shoes. If you are using your leather shoes everyday, it may hardly last for a year or two. Also, during the winter season, you cannot avoid stepping into water clogged roads. So, the mantra of 'long life for shoes' doesn't hold good, here in India.

Anyways, if you have the practise of wearing leather shoes to work in US, you should definitely consider buying Shoe Trees. Based on what I heard from couple of people in US, these toys 'really' extend the life of shoes, if used regularly.


Also read:


11/45 - The rarest size
Goods in US - lots of options & cheaper price

Tips to get a good deal on flight, hotel and car

Once you have decided your destination & your trip duration, you are ready to make the travel arrangements. How do you get the best deal when making the travel arrangements for your trip? This blog post summarizes the strategies that I follow to get good deals when booking flights, hotel and car.

Booking flight tickets / car

Most of the times, airfare is your single biggest expense during your trip planning. Search on multiple websites like Hotwire.com, Expedia.com, and Orbitz.com. They would list a number of deals to select from. For example, if the listing shows deals from American Airlines, then go to American Airline's website and check the price. Most of the times, you'll get a better price if you directly book through the airline website. You can also adopt the same strategy for booking a car for your trip. Most of the times, I get good deals when I book directly from Alamo Car Rental.

Booking Hotel

The strategy that I adopt for booking flight tickets/car doesn't work for me when trying to book a hotel. Many times, websites such as Hotwire.com, and Hotels.com, provide good deals for stay. I've had lots of good experiences and pleasant surprises with my Hotwire.com booking. You'll get a 5 star hotel room, for a 3-star price. The only limitation with Hotwire.com is that they have hotels listed only from prominent places & cities. For example, you may not be able to find a good deal for a hotel room near National Parks, through Hotwire. You may have to try Hotels.com, in such situations.

If you want to find a really cheap accommodation, try Motel6.com. The Motel6 hotel rooms are in decent condition and at the same time, their price is also reasonable. Motel6 is for people who just want a place  to sleep for a night. You may have to read reviews carefully before you book a "Motel" for your trip. Most of the times, Motels are occupied by lorry drivers & low income people.

General Tips

• Even if the price given in websites such as Hotwire, matches the one given in airlines/car-rental web site, I would recommend booking through the airline/car-rental website. Booking done through airlines website are cancel-able & hence, you'll get credit, if you happen to cancel your trip in the last minute. Websites such as Hotwire, do not allow you to cancel the booking.

• When booking a rental car or hotel or airline, do not say that you are a corporate customer. The pricing for corporate customers is typically high. There are handful of chains that provide discounted fare for corporate customers. You have to be cautious about that. (To validate this, try selecting the "Corporate Customer" option and you'll notice that the prices are bumped by 10 - 20%)

• When you try searching for deals through web portals, the web portals will remember your session information through cookies. If you are wandering in the same portal for a long time, they'll increase the fare after some time. You'll be tempted to book right away (before the fare goes further up). Don't get caught in the trap. Try using the same web portal through a different browser instance (For example, if you have been using Firefox for the search, use IE for booking). You'll notice that the fare is different/lesser, now. This gimmick is not done by popular websites such as Hotwire. However, I've seen this happening in a few websites.
  

• Some of the airline websites allow you to book flight tickets + car + hotel (as a single package). In most of the cases, the combined fare would exceed the cost of booking them independently through different websites.
  

• Do not try to book tickets from websites whose primary business is not selling travel packages. For example, if you start your booking of tickets from websites like Tripadvisor.com, you'll be charged a premium for their service.

• Try to book cars from rental facilities in airport. You'll have the flexibility of 'renting' & 'returning' your car any time. Car rental facilities outside the airport are open only during the regular business hours. So, you may not be able to return the car at your convenience. You'll have to hold on to the car until the shop opens, the next day. You'll be unnecessarily paying extra charges for the additional time.
  

• Car rental facilities outside airport typically give good deals for weekend rentals (i.e., Fri evening to Monday morning).
  

• Some websites offer discounts when you pre-pay for the rental. If you know for sure that you are going to travel on a given day, pre-pay the costs. At times, you would get up to 10% discount on the fare (Alamo.com, offers pre-pay discounts for car rentals).

[* I have not used priceline.com, that much. So, my findings do not include the experiences from priceline.com]

Also read:

Places to see in USA

Power of Attorney for NRIs - FAQ

Are you in US? Are you thinking of buying properties in India, on your name? Do you want to authorize someone to buy/maintain your property? You can give Power of Attorney to a person you trust (your parents/relatives) and they can do the property related transactions on your behalf.

1) What is Power of Attorney (PoA)?

A Power of Attorney is a legal document in which you give another person legal authority to act for you.

You can find more details from http://www.nrilegalservices.com/

2) Can I give Power of Attorney to anyone?

Yes. But, it is highly recommended to give Power of Attorney only to folks whom you trust.

3) What should be the text in the Power of Attorney?
   Are there any sample Power of Attorney documents?

Please find here the link to a sample PoA document

4) Should I type the Power of Attorney text in a stamp paper?

No. It is not required to print the text in a stamp paper.

Look at the consular website. It gives more details regarding how you should use the stamp paper, if at all you've to use a stamp paper.

5) Can I take a printout of Power of Attorney text in a plain sheet of paper?

Yes. You should take printout of PoA in a plain sheet of paper (A4 is fine)

6) Should I get the Power of Attorney attested by Indian Consulate?

It is not a must that PoA be attested by the Indian consulate. For example, I was able to buy a property/land by just getting the PoA notarized from a local notary.

However, it is recommended that you get the PoA attested by Indian consulate if your transaction is complex (for example, if you are getting loan from a bank, you may be asked to get the PoA attested by Indian consulate)

7) What is the process involved to get the PoA attested by the Indian consulate?

The consular website gives detailed information regarding the process involved to get the PoA attested

8) Can I get the Power of Attorney notarized by a notary?

Yes. In fact, I prepared the PoA on a plain sheet of paper and got it notarized in US and sent it to my dad. My dad registered that PoA in India and he was able to buy property on my name & maintain it on my behalf.

9) Where can I find additional information regarding PoA?

R2I Club Forums has a separate thread talking about PoA. You can find some information there.

Subway experience - How much can you change?!

How much can you change in 6 years? .. a lot!! I got reminded of a dining experience at Subway restaurant, in US.

It was the year 2002. Days after I landed in US for my job. My friend took me for lunch to a nearby Subway restaurant. Hey! It is one of the few places where you can have a stomach full veggie food for less than $5. There was a long queue in the restaurant. After a 5 minutes wait in the queue, my turn came. I had asked my friend about what to order. So, I just started firing "I want a foot long Veggie Patty". The guy in the shop asked "What bread Sir?" Oh my God! I wasn't prepared for this question. I looked at my friend who took me to Subway. My friend asked "Do you want Wheat bread or Italian?". "Wheat" sounded to be healthy. So, I told "Wheat". Now, the guy in the shop asked "Sir! What do you want on it?" Common, not again! I looked at the counter in which they had kept the sandwich ingredients. There are atleast 15 different items that I can choose from. First of all, I don't know "What some of the ingredients" are. Second of all, I don't know the "English" name for some of them. Again, I looked at my friend. He told to the guy in the shop "He eats everything. Put everything on it!". Oh, what a relief!

We moved to the billing counter. The guy in the counter greeted us with a "Namaste!". He asked "Do you want a drink? The combo comes with drink and chips. Do you want a combo Sir?" I decided to have a combo, because I get more for the price. Also, I liked the bubbling fresh drink & hot chips. When I had my first bite of the sandwich, I was disappointed. It was not tasty at all. Moreover, the wheat bread was very hard to chew. I didn't want to "waste" the sandwich. So, I managed to eat it in full. The drink & chips really were necessary for me to complete the foot long sandwich. 

Fast forward, 6 years from then. During my last visit to the same Subway shop, I ordered a Veggie Delite. The guy in the shop asked "What bread Sir?". I told him "Italian". The guy asked "Sir! What do you want on it?" I told him "Onion, Jalapeno, Black olives, tomato, no ranch dressing, no Cheese ...". I exactly told him what I want on it. I moved to the billing counter and skipped the offer for the drink & chips (Well, drink contains carbs & chips contains fat!). I just took a glass of water. I relished my foot long sandwich. It tasted sooo... good (Well, being a Vegan provides you very less options to eat. So, you have to be happy with what you get ! :)).

What difference did my stay in US for 6 years make?

1. I don't go to Subway because the sandwich is cheap. I go to Subway because it is a healthy choice. 
2. I watch for calories & fat in the food that I eat. I'm ready to skip (actually, sacrifice) even my favorite drink & chips
3. I love cold sandwiches (got used to its taste!)
4. I now understand what ingredients go into a Sandwich. I can name them in English :)
5. If someone asks me a tough question like "What do you want", I'm conditioned to ask "What are the options that I have" (instead of just staring at them, spell bound).

This is not just an unique experience that only I went through. I'm sure many of you might have had a similar experience. But, looking back, it feels so good that we've evolved over a period of time & the evolution is for good!

Also read:

Returning to India
Stages of Immigrant Life in USA

Should I participate in 401k? The answer is YES !

Should I participate in 401k? This is the BIG question that lingered in my mind for several years, before I decided to contribute towards 401k. For many years, I was thinking that 401k is for people who wants to 'settle down' in US. Also, I thought only Green Card holders or US citizens can participate in the 401k program. I didn't realize that even folks working in H1B visa can participate in 401k. Later, I repented that I should've participated in 401k, much earlier. If you are incognizant to the benefits of participating in 401k program, this blog post is for YOU.

I went from India to work for a start up company in US. They didn't have any 401k plan at all. After a few years, they introduced 401k plan - however, there was no employer contribution. So, I didn't pay much attention to 401k, when it was introduced in my startup. It was during my 5th year, I realized that 401k is WEALTH, irrespective of whether you're carrying that to your retirement or have to close in-between, due to your Return to India (R2I). The company that I joined during my 5th year had an 'employer match' for the 401k contributions. So, it was highly irresistable and I started making contributions.

The contributions that you make to 401k are tax exempted. If your employer matches your 401k contributions, you should definitely consider participating in the plan. Even if you have to close your 401k account in between due to your R2I, you'll still have made decent money/profit.

For example, let us assume that you are contributing $100 to 401k, every month. If your employer matches your 401k contributions, then the deposit to your 401k account every month would be $200 ($100 from you + $100 from the employer). In 2 years, you would've got at least $4800 (24 * $200). 401k contributions are typically re-invested in stocks, mutual funds, bonds etc., So, the performance of the stock/bond market will have an influence on your account balance.

When you decide to R2I, you have the option of keeping your 401k account active (without any contributions to it) till your retirement age. However, if you decide to close your 401k during your R2I, there will be a 10% penalty + XX % tax (based on your tax bracket). Let us make two assumptions - (1) Your investment's value hasn't increased or decreased due to fluctuations in stock market (2) You fall into the 33% tax bracket. So, your account balance will be $4800. The NET amount you've to lose due to 33% tax + 10% penalty would be $2064 (i.e., $4800 * (33 + 10)/100). You would get $2736 in hand during your R2I, if you had participated in 401k.

Let us assume that you haven't contributed to the 401k, at all. Your $100 (that you might have potentially contributed to 401k), will be tax deducted and deposited into your bank account as part of your salary every month. Assuming that you fall in 33% tax bracket, every month, you'll get an additional deposit of $67 (i.e., $100 * (100 - 33)/100). At the end of two years, you would've got only $1608 (i.e., 24 * $67), if you are not participating in 401k.

Do you know how much additional money you could've got by participating in 401k? $1128 !!! (i.e., $2736 - $1608). Also, there is a high potential for you to earn additional money through the appreciation of stocks, mutual funds, bonds, etc., Imagine how much additional wealth you can accumulate by participating in 401k plan. I personally felt that my short 401k participation was very handy when I decided to R2I. It took care of all the initial settling costs.

Should you participate in 401k? The answer is YES! YES! YES!

Also read:

• R2I - 401(k) closure FAQs
• R2I - What to do with the 401(k) account?
• How much money do you need to return back to India
  

US to India Money Transfer Strategies

Many of us go to US to earn money. The USD -> INR exchange rates make it lucrative for more and more people to go to US, to work. If we keep the hard earned dollars as dollars in US, we won't be able to appreciate the value of it. The real value of a dollar is seen, only when you transfer that to India and spend it in India. This blog post helps you to find the best strategy, to transfer money from US to India. Also, I've presented the findings of the survey that I conducted on this subject.

Aren't you curious to learn about the strategies adopted by people to transfer money to India? 

Regular Monthly Transfers - You can request your bank in India to automatically withdraw a fixed amount from your US Bank account, every month or at regular intervals. This technique is similar to Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA). Throughout my stay in US, I followed this approach & it proved to be very rewarding. I never have to "time the market" and didn't have to worry about the "conversion rates".

Timed Transfers - Some folks keep accumulating the money in their US bank accounts and do transfers to India only when the exchange rates are at their peak levels. However, the challenge with this approach is - it is difficult to "time the market". At the least, you cannot be RIGHT, all the times. For example,

    in 2006, 1 USD = 46 INR
    in 2007, 1 USD = 39 INR,
    in 2008, 1 USD went from 41 to 49 in just few months.

Looking back, you can say we could have gotten the best conversion rates by transferring all the money during 2008. But, how do you know 'what is the real peak' & 'what is the real bottom'? When 1 USD was 39 INR in 2007, people were speculating that it may go all the way down to 36 INR. When 1 USD was 41 INR in early 2008, who knew that it would go all the way to 52 INR in 2009? This is no way different from "Timing the Stock Market". But, similar to trading stocks, if you are disciplined enough to have your own self-targets for the exchange rates (& not become greedy), you'll be able to make some good money by taking advantage of the exchange rates.

Need based Transfers - There are a few folks who transfer the money only when there is a real need. They keep their investments in US Stocks, Bonds, Houses & at times, the money just sleeps in their US checking account. They transfer it to India only when there is a need such as buying a property, wedding, medical expenses etc., With the US FDIC providing insurance for only up to $200,000, you have to be a bit cautious if you are maintaining huge chunks of balance in your checking account.

Random Transfers - There are folks who don't transfer money to India, regularly. But they do the transfers only when they feel like moving some money to their Indian bank account. The disadvantage of this approach is, you may not be getting the best of "DCA" & also the "Timed Transfers".

I did a survey with my friends to find out

1.     Which bank/service they use for transferring money to India?
2.     How long does it take to transfer money from US to India?
3.     How often the folks transfer money from US to India?
4.     What is their money transfer strategy?
5.     Do they like their money transfer service/bank?

(click on the image to enlarge)

The findings of the survey are given below:

•  ICICI service is predominantly used for money transfers. Other services being used are SBIOnline, Citibank, Wells Fargo, Central Bank of India, and Fedwire.
•  It takes anywhere from 4 hours - 10 days to do the transfer. (Fedwire can do it in 4 hours. ICICI can do it in 3 days. SBI takes 5 days)
•  Most folks do the money transfers at regular intervals. They take advantage of DCA.
•  12% of the surveyed folks hated ICICI's service

(click on the image to enlarge)


Additional info found during the survey: SBI Online provides one of the best exchange rates. Citi gives the best exchange rates if you are looking out to transfer more than 25K USD.

Related Posts:

The need for more money never ends
How much money do you need to return back to India 

When is the right time to go to US?

Are you one of those folks who dream about going to US, but haven't taken any action towards it? Are you waiting for the 'perfect' time to go to US? Have you been procrastinating your move to US? Are you not sure about when to go to US? I have seen people walking into this dream land during different stages of life. I'll share my perceptions here & hopefully, it helps you in making a decision.  (Also read: Green Card vs. US Citizenship)

Right after your college education - Many folks go to US to do their higher studies. Leading a student life is a bit difficult - not much money at hand; have to maintain multiple credit cards to payoff bills; have to work somewhere in addition to studies etc., But, you'll learn lots of interesting life lessons during this period. Depending upon the university you join, you'll also get good academic knowledge. You can also develop a network of friends during your school. Only thing you'll miss is "luxury", unless your parents have piles of cash under their mattress. You'll complete your higher studies in 2 or 3 years. After that, when you get into a full-time job, your quality of life will improve tremendously. (Note: I haven't seen someone going to US to "work", right after their college. You'll need some work experience in India before going to US to work)

When you are a bachelor - This is the time when you can take more risks. You have everything in the world to GAIN but very little to lose. It will be more fun when you have lots of friends in US (especially, in the same locality where you live). You can do a variety of things with your friends - regular get togethers, lots of driving, visiting new/interesting places, hiking/sports, hangouts during nights, etc., Also, you'll have lots of time to work - you can go above and beyond what is expected out of you at work. This period will help you to 'establish' yourself at work. Even if you don't have a stable or high-paying job, you can take the hit during your bachelor days. Your cost of living will also be very low (because of shared accommodation/expenses). You'll be able to save a lot of money during this period.

Right after your wedding - Spending the first few years of post-marriage life in US is exciting. Your spouse would enjoy getting your total attention (i.e., you won't be disturbed by family/relatives etc.,). You can also visit a lot of places. You may have some challenge with respect to achieving work-life balance. If your spouse cannot work in US & if you are spending more hours at work, your spouse may feel lonely. Some spouses may enjoy loneliness and others may not. I have seen a case where it ended up in divorce, right after a year. If you don't have a stable job or don't have good pay - you may have to lead a conservative life (i.e., you cannot buy a lot of things for your home, you may not be having a car, you cannot dine out frequently etc.,) The single biggest expense during this period will be your house rent. Other expenses are somewhat manageable. If you have a stable job & good pay, you can lead a luxurious life.

After your kid - Going to US during this stage of life will be challenging. You need to have lots of patience & tolerance. You should be able to adapt quickly to the changes/challenges. If you have a stable job & good pay, you can lead a decent life. However, job stability in US is always a big question mark - especially during the first few years of your career in US. Moreover, your starting salary would be typically less. If your kid is too small & if your spouse is also not working, you'll feel the pinch. You may not be able to do justification to your work as well as your family (i.e., establishing work-life balance would be difficult). During the initial days, if the kid gets sick, you may have to depend on someone to take you to hospital & you may need help from your friends to do even shopping. You have to lead a conservative life because the expenses will sky rocket (house rent, groceries, medical bills, commute/travel costs, kids' toys, etc.,). When the kid is above 2 years, you need to put him/her in pre-school. For a kid to go to a day care or a pre-school, you need to pay atleast $500/$600 per month. After 4 years, if you cannot put your kid in public school, you need to pay atleast $1000 per month as private school fees. You have to sit tight on expenses. If your objective is to earn money in US, you may not be able to achieve your goal quickly (especially, if there is only single income).

In Tamil, there is a saying "Thirai kadal oadiyum thiraviyam theadu" which means "Sail across ocean to find wealth". Going to US gives you lots of exposure & can also make you rich. Unless, you have family reasons that force you to stay in India, I would highly recommend you to go to US and work for a few years (especially, if you are in the IT field).

Related posts:

Going to US through a consultant on a H1B Visa?
Stages of Immigrant Life in USA
Green Card vs. US Citizenship

Going to US through a consultant on a H1B visa?

Thinking of going to US through a consultant on a H1B visa ? What are some of the things that you need to look for? Here is the list of guidelines/tips that I normally share with my friends. Hope you find this useful.

(Also read: Green Card vs. US Citizenship)

1) Money to sponsor H1B visa - Consultants shouldn't be charging you money to sponsor H1B visa. It is definitely illegal. If you are paying your consultant, then you are taking a risk.

2) Employment Bond/Contract - The consultant may insist you to sign a bond (i.e., He/She may ask you to stay with them for a finite period). An employer cannot legally force you to be in the same company for a specific period. When you violate the terms in the bond, the cost of fighting with you legally is also very high. The consultant has to pay a lawyer to take this to court. The money that he may get back from you will be very very less than what he paid for the lawyer. So, even if you signed a bond, you don't have to worry much. You can move away from the consultant at any time.

3) Salary - The salary structure varies drastically. Some consultants offer a fixed salary and some may offer a % of the pay that they get from the clients. It is always recommended to negotiate a fixed pay. However, you don't have to be hung up on fixed pay. Consultants normally charge their clients hefty amount per hour. So, % of the pay is also a good deal. Normally, folks stay with a consultant for a very short period (3 - 6 months). So, the actual salary doesn't really matter.

4) Medical Insurance - Check who should take care of the medical insurance. Typically, the consultant should take care of this. However, the consultants may insist that you take care of it. You should pay more attention to the medical insurance if you are going there with your family or if you have some existing medical conditions. Medical insurance cost is normally high in US.

5) Who gets you the job? - Consultants who have good contacts in the industry can get you placed fast. People working in the 'hot' technology areas/domains typically find jobs/clients on their own because there are ample opportunities. Consultants need not be relied upon. If the consultant has already placed people in reputed firms, he/she can leverage that relationship. (Note: You will need a confirmed offer letter from a client for visa interview. So, it is better if the consultant can get you a job before your visa interview. U.S embassy verifies the authenticity of the offer letter by contacting the client directly. So, don't try to cheat. You may end up in jail :))

6) Flight tickets - Flight tickets should also be legally paid by the consultant. However, the consultant may ask you to pay for it and get it reimbursed after you reach USA. It is absolutely fine if you have a written commitment.

7) Pay during the bench period - This is a tricky thing. Many consultants don't pay their employees in bench (i.e., when they are looking for a job/client). However, they are legally supposed to take care of ALL your expenses (or pay you) during your stay. Some consultants take care of your accommodation and give you a fixed pay for your expenses. You need to negotiate this in advance.

8) Premium Visa Processing - Check if the consultant would do a 'premium processing' of visa. Premium visa application processing will be over in just 2 weeks. So, if you want to speed-en up things, you can ask for this. (Note: Normally consultants don't do premium visa processing because it costs them more. They'll do it only if their clients insist on it).

9) Consultant's Office Location - Choose a consultant closer to your job location. For ex., silicon valley has lots of job opportunities in 'hot' domains. So, if you are working in such domains, you've to choose a consultant in silicon valley. Normally, consultants prefer you to work in their office during the bench period. (Note: Companies hiring contractors would not pay for flight tickets if you've to travel for interviews. Normally, companies hire local candidates for contracting positions. So, it is recommended if your consultant is closer to your job location)

10) Consultant's Professionalism - Check if the consultant is professional enough with all the dealings. This is very important. There are very few good stories that I've heard about consultants. They typically tend to be greedy (The reason being ... you stay with them only for a very short time & hence, they want to get maximum out of you).

(Treat these as just guidelines. I'm not responsible for the outcome of any decision that you may take based on this ;-))

Related post:

When is the right time to go to US?
Green Card vs. US Citizenship

Stages of Immigrant Life in USA

I got a weird idea today to document the different phases of an immigrant's life in USA. I gave it a shot with MS Powerpoint 2007. I definitely enjoyed doing this exercise. I hope you enjoy it, too.



Disclaimer: The information posted in this blog is purely based on what I saw, heard and experienced. Your individual outcome/situation may vary :)

Also read:

Guidelines to consider when getting a H1B visa through a consultant
When is the right time to go to US? 
Subway experience - How much can you change?
Green card vs. US Citizenship

Bye Bye USA ...

29th April 2009

Well, the time has come for me to say "Bye Bye". It is Apr 29th, 2009 - the day of my return to India. I was dreaming about this day for the last 6 years. My countdown for this day started 3 months, back. "Are you happy or sad? Do you feel excited or worried? Are you sure, Saro? Do you want to leave USA?". My friends were curious. My response was simple... "Yes, I want to go back. I'm determined & very excited !!".

The last 3 months brought-in significant changes in my lifestyle. Hope they are just exceptions and not the norm :) I gained 5 pounds in the last 3 months. Thanks to the send-off parties. I'm going to disappoint my wife who has been thinking that I'll lose weight, because of her absence. I'm working hard these days - trying to complete my deliverables at RBAK & trying to pickup the basics of the future job @ Nokeena. I couldn't keep up with my regular morning walks, book reading, temple visits etc., We vacated our house and I moved to my brother's place in March. These days, I spend very little time with my pillow & comforters. They hate me much.

I'm eagerly looking forward to meet my wife/daughter. I miss my daughter much more than I miss my wife (Hope my wife doesn't read this blog :)). I call them every day. I've become Reliance India's preferred customer.

My last day in Redback was 24th Apr. In the next few days, I closed my 401K account/credit cards/insurance, changed my bank account, etc., I did some limited shopping and packed my stuff.

Finally, it is the D-day - Apr 29th, 2009. I don't feel the same way ... like what I felt when leaving India, 6 years back. I realize that I haven't created an emotional attachment with the country. I'm sad to leave my U.S friends, but glad that I'm going to meet some of my old friends in India. In retrospect, I feel that I made a wise decision coming to US. I gained a lot of exposure. Today, I feel that I made a wise decision to go back.

Thank you USA for all that you gave me... I'll never forget that ... See you ... Bye Bye ...

Also read:


First R2I Anniversary - The journey continues ...