The countdown is on, and it’s less than a month until my arrival in India. I’m half excited and let’s face it, half petrified.

So I did what every sane writer does when freaking out about how her lifestyle is about to change drastically: I pitched a story about Indians who were being forced to return to India after decades of living in America because of the economic climate and certain protectionist policies. It wasn’t about my situation at all (I’m actually very happy about this), but I did get to speak to a few people who shared the reasons for their return to India and hilarious anecdotes about the reverse culture shock they were not expecting.

But what’s most interesting is that ever since I began telling people here in America that I was leaving next month, almost every immigrant I know (and I know many) has given me advice on how to extend my visa.

When I tell them it’s my choice, they often don’t believe me.

“If you find a ‘friend,’ I’ve heard it’s easier to stay,” a concerned shop-owner told me. “My son’s friend is looking for a girlfriend. Do you want his number?”

When I explained that I already had a “friend,” who his son had met, by the way, and that he was in India, he looked at me perplexed. “Then why he not come here?”

“Oh, he’s British,” I replied.

“Ah, so you go to Britain?”

Um, no.

.

(Photo by Moch Kurniawan)

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In other news, spring is here. So we’ve been spending time outside.

(Photo by Myint Kyaw)