Indian Expat In Europe

This is not about Salzburg, this article is about the anguish of living abroad when you long to be back home. The past few days, I admit I have been drifting. Morning shifts to noon and noon to evening and then it's time to sleep. It's like I have truly gone into a time-lapse mode. Don't get me wrong, I am not depressed. I am just sad. I recently lost my dearest nanaji, he was a legend to put things in perspective. He was one man who did it all; was a soldier for our country, a social worker in our community, a true family man, and a true inspiration for anyone who knew him. There is not a single person who would not have praises for him or incidents to tell how he touched their lives. He imbibed goodwill and admiration.  Captain Sultan Singh Chauhan He died at the age of 92. We are so grateful to God that he had a full life. Over the past decade or so, things were very hard for him as he suffered from dementia (memory loss) and the last few years he was restricted to his b...

Someone rightly said Salzburg is like a museum. It's too pretty and color-coordinated. The old town is absolutely preserved and what is tremendously commendable is that people continue to stay in those very old buildings without lifts to enjoy exquisite work of art just outside their windows right at the city center. Almost every house here has a Mount Gaisberg view or catches the glimpse of a historic building/castle. The river Salzach is the highlight of this city or should I say the backbone of this small little city. Many bridges here are connecting the old town to the new (I could be completely wrong but this is what I understand). I am so new here that I won't even begin to explain Salzburg just yet. All I know is that our decision to move to the city was a good one. Everything is so accessible, be it the park, the grocery store, or the shopping centers. Walking, cycling, and taking the bus here is very normal and actually preferred as an eco-friendly way of travel.  The ...

We arrived in Fuschl late at night and was damn cold even with our heaviest jackets on. Maybe it was the newness that made it colder than it actually was, or maybe because after a 3.5 hour of a cosy cab ride our body was not expecting a windy night. We arrived close to 9pm at our company apartment. Lugging our luggage into the new temporary apartment was seeming like the hardest thing that I could do with a hungry and sleepy 4-year-old and the damp dark night. Even the driver had started to crib in german about how many suitcases we had while he tried to help. My husband had gone to arrange for the keys while we waited, trying to make sense of where we had arrived. Our driver was helpful enough to stop over at a gas station for us to get some bread and basic food but me being an Indian decided to get only sandwiches for dinner and thought I'll buy the rest tomorrow. Little did I know that the nearest supermarket would be 6.5 km away from this little place! Of course, there was one ...

When it comes to packing, I get damn excited. I love to organize and put clothes, shoes, accessories, essentials and all things travel in little tiny bags before neatly stacking them all into a large suitcase. I have all the cool travel hacks when it comes to packing your luggage most efficiently. I have never really given it much thought as to why I love packing. I know it is weird. I also know it is helpful for my husband as it is one less thing he needs to do when I am around. There is no valid explanation why I love it but it extends from my love for planning, maybe my love for travel, and the anticipation of the happiness that comes from travel (but I have also packed for others and enjoyed the process as much).  This time packing was very very different. I was having cold feet trying to decipher what could be the best possible way to start our very big move. Like most clueless beings, I searched the internet for answers "How to move across countries" or "How to eff...

 Well, to be honest, I know nobody will disagree with the fact that 2020 changed our lives. The way we live, the way we think, and even the way we imagine our future. Suddenly, we were not so sure of anything anymore. I speak for everyone when I say the "C" word was dreaded more than any other viral infection and had the power of changing all basic rules of living. All one had to say was, oh due to COVID-19 we have this delay/change/new rule. Common folks like you and me were just juggling to make ends meet. Be it about keeping a sane home or cooking food. The news was always too jarring that I stopped listening and reading any news in the mornings. The start to the year for me was like the perfect holiday start in Goa. We booked two places and stayed for 8 whole days just soaking up the sun and letting our worries melt away with the lovely Arabian sea. This was the perfect way to say goodbye to a year for us and welcome new possibilities. I love to plan ahead of time so I ma...