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Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (Never say goodbye)

Dec 02, 2009 2 MIN

Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (Never say goodbye)

This happens to be a phrase from one of my favorite Hindi songs – Chalte Chalte. It also happens to be quite appropriate for what my family has been experiencing the past month as we get ready to move to India. We had about eight farewell parties with various friends, first in Boston and then in the Bay Area. This reminded us how lucky we were to have spent all these years in the United States and how many wonderful people we have met along the way who touched our lives. We are grateful to have such wonderful friends and we mean it when we say that we will be in touch. This blog is one such effort. One question that many people have asked me is what will we miss the most about the US. Without thinking much I could easily say that I would most miss all the friends out here. I have been thinking more about this and wanted to list the top few on both the professional and personal fronts. I look forward to reviewing this list (in no particular order) end of next year to reflect on reality:

Personal

  • Experiencing live concerts of favorite musicians.
  • Weekend road trips to a cabin far from the city.
  • Colors, smells and sounds of the various seasons – particularly Fall – which is gorgeous in New England
  • Amazon.com – I don’t think they ship to India
  • Predictable travel times and traffic

Professional

  • Walking the halls of MIT and other US Universities on a regular basis learning about the latest cutting edge technologies
  • Ability to find seasoned professionals to fill a portfolio company’s job posting in almost any industry/skill-set within a short period of time.
  • Ease of access to data and experts in almost any area of investment interest

On the same note, what do I look forward to the most in India: Personal

  • Being close to family and friends
  • Domestic help – be it cooking, cleaning, driving or taking care of children
  • Being current with cricket and Indian movies without extra effort

Professional

  • The almost limitless supply of entrepreneurial opportunities that only a fast developing country like India can offer in everything from healthcare to energy to enterprise software (to name a few areas)
  • The attitude of Indian entrepreneurs that they can conquer anything. Over the past couple of years I notice an unmistakable increase in the level of confidence of Indian entrepreneurs (particular the first time entrepreneurs) which is amazing

Would love to hear your thoughts on what I missed? What would you miss the most if you were to leave your country of residence or find the most exciting about moving to/living in India?