I'm an avid reader of The Economist, and this year's holiday special edition was remarkably done. This article in particular got my attention. Essentially, it says that being foreign is no longer as difficult or as novel as it used to be, and looks at the psychology of staying home vs. moving elsewhere. It concludes:
The dilemma of foreignness comes down to one of liberty versus fraternity—the pleasures of freedom versus the pleasures of belonging. The homebody chooses the pleasures of belonging. The foreigner chooses the pleasures of freedom, and the pains that go with them.
A sobering thourght for someone about to relocate to India. On the other hand, I'd even argue that there is nowadays an expectation to go abroad for talent, especially when that talent is young and mobile. Very few companies these days operate from one office in one country. Outsourcing is the norm rather than the aberration. The side effect is that brave souls need to physically jump the ocean every so often, and that's where you have me.
I've been blessed with a network of supportive friends, family, and one very understanding boyfriend. I'll be able to communicate by webcam on my loneliest days. Right now I'm not feeling so bad, but as I was saying at my sendoff dinner last night: I don't even know what I don't know. I'll probably have to wait for my first encounter with an elephant, or a monkey, or a wandering cow, before it really sinks in.
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