#046 Picking one between two home countries
No one can pick just one
I have been living in the UK for over a year and a half now. Honestly, it hasn’t been that long, but it’s been long enough to call it our second home. Shanay was born here too. I’m currently visiting India on paternity leave, and I often get asked where I prefer living. And the only answer is - I don’t know.
Yes, I do ponder this quite a bit, and this post is an attempt to pen down all my thoughts and feelings on the matter. Let me start by listing a few reasons, beginning with those favouring the UK, as they are on top of my mind right now — clean air, great parks and green spaces, and better financial remuneration for my work. Overall, I'd say I enjoy a much better quality of life. Additionally, I am a textbook consumer, and some of the best consumer products in the market debut in the US and the UK. So that’s a nice bonus.
Now for the reasons favoring India — family, food, and convenience. Being born here, I have a well-established network of friends and family. Being closer to my parents as they age is something I frequently contemplate. Watching Shanay interact with so many relatives is heartwarming. The cost of convenience is incredibly low, enabling us to outsource many of our chores. I also happen to thrive in warm weather. If given a choice, I’d never layer up.
The reasons favouring India are all the things I miss about the UK, and the ones favouring the UK are all the things that are lacking in India. This makes choosing between the two extremely difficult. Ultimately, it boils down to where one stands in life, both personally and professionally, and what their priorities are at that moment. As of today, we have chosen the UK as our home for the reasons I mentioned.
While I’m here in India for a few months, I feel bittersweet as our departure date approaches, with family and friends being the only reason for the mixed emotions. Everything else has been quite frustrating. Every administrative process is bogged down by excessive paperwork and bureaucracy. The roads get washed out every monsoon. There's a pervasive "me-first" attitude, whether it's driving or getting on and off trains. Productivity per capita is low due to the most mundane shortcomings in public infrastructure.
Despite all this, India is still home, and that’s why it’s so hard to choose between the two.
All my immigrant friends, what’s keeping you where you are? Share in the comments below.
Reading list
Family values - Family is an iOS crypto wallet app. The author talks about their process of making something complex feel welcoming and familiar, through great interaction design.
Great animations - What makes up great animations in user interface design?
WITI - The pen edition - An old WITI dispatch that mentions the pen arsenals of a few people. I didn’t know a lot of those pens.
Why do corporate art styles feel ‘fake’? - Well, there are reasons why.
From generalist to specialist - This one’s a first from yours truly. This article talks about my transition from a generalist to a specialist design system designer role.
That’ll be all for this one. Hope you enjoyed reading this. Share it with someone who you think will like Hyperlink by clicking on the button below👇 . Stay safe and see you'll in the next issue!
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Same feelings 🥲