Here I go- Finally !

Orkutting and Blogging - Two things I found weird when I landed here. I thought they were activities that only the creme de la creme of the Indian academia, those with the gift of producing brilliant pieces of oeuvre and the socially "active" souls engaged in. Minneapolis and its people have been responsible for changing my perspective towards life, the universe and everything over the last nine months. I fell for orkut just a few months after landing here- Why wouldnt anyone ? More than anything else, I believe it gives people immense pleasure and security to know that they're associated with so many people. Anyways- quite a few of my friends here have been pretty persistent in their efforts to get me started on penning down my thoughts. I have been contemplating about it for quite sometime. I have always thought that such public display of emotions and opinions lead to more bad than good. However, over the last two weeks, I started thinking otherwise ( more so because I didnot have anything better to do with time ). So here I go... I fail to understand why I always find the neccesity to justify everything I say and do- nevertheless now that I have, let me continue rambling.

I've been thoroughly enjoying myself over the last two weeks- good food, good movies, good sleep and loads of fun. Its been peaceful after a not so stressful semester and Iam hoping the next two will be similar. It's also given me loads of time to look back on the one year or so.

March 2004: I thought Masters was a bad idea. I was in a secure environment pampered by appa and amma, I had a wonderful job, I had the comfort of being around with the world's best friends. And then there was the dream- the IIMs. Flying away from all this seemed like the worst proposition ever.

April 2004: Masters seemed like not so bad an option. Good job options. Btech - I.T from Madras University wasnt probably going to help me much.

May 2004 : Admit from U of M, Twin Cities. Wonderful school. Preparing for CAT with a job that would get really hectic as time passed by seemed like a bad idea. MS in CE. Good future. I could always do my management studies later. Should I ? Shouldnt I ? Appa, amma, friends...? Masters, US of A, Buying more time to know what I really want in life ??! sigh...

June 21st, 2004 : For all the hype that was created, I was hardly troubled at the consulate. It was as if the Almighty wanted me to get out of Singare Chennai for a couple of years. HE too probably concurred that it would do a world of good for the world at large. After all, it was important for me to know what I really wanted in life. I need to be on my own for sometime. I need to get things right. The most sensible thing to do was obviously to go live in a strange land full of strange people and get a life !

July, 2004 : Wrapping up work, still convincing myself that Iam doing the right thing.

August 1st, 2004: 11 days to go. Big time shopping, Blew all the money I'd saved over the last 9 months. Met a zillion people, last time calls, hugs and promises. Fear,hope,relief,insecurity- I've never been through such complex and mixed emotions.

August 11th- D-day - reserved for the next post... Until then, adios.