An NRI who has spent the last 7 years living in Europe has said that he is considering moving back to India despite enjoying a comfortable life abroad.
In a Reddit post titled “Time has come”, the user said he had acquired foreign citizenship and built a stable life in Europe, but was increasingly struggling with loneliness and a desire to pursue entrepreneurship in India. “After seven years living in Europe and having been acquired foreign citizenship, I am planning to return to India,” the user wrote.
He admitted that the quality of life in Europe is great, but said that the emotional cost of living abroad had started weighing on him. “I do see the state of India going down the drain every single day but loneliness in Europe has crept in,” he wrote.
The Reddit user added that although he currently enjoys a cushy job and a comfortable lifestyle overseas, he feels conflicted about staying abroad when he has long aspired to build something of his own in India.
“Quality of life in Europe is great but my aspirations to pursue entrepreneurship was always an aspiration. A bit clueless of what and how but now it's escalation of commitment because I have become very complacent and 'chill' in life,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}“Quality of life in Europe is great but my aspirations to pursue entrepreneurship was always an aspiration. A bit clueless of what and how but now it's escalation of commitment because I have become very complacent and 'chill' in life,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}“Sometimes I think I have lost my senses of thinking to leave a cushy job, benefits, etc. Then I see people returning to india with the magnitude of their savings,” he added, asking others who had made similar moves to share their experiences.
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How did social media react?
The post quickly resonated with many users, several of whom shared their own struggles with loneliness, belonging and career aspirations abroad.
“I’ve been living in Europe since 9 years and wish everyday to move but I just cannot work in India. I have lost my energy, zeal to do anything or maybe I am depressed who knows but if I think of India then I think of being fed good food by mom and sleeping all day long and going for evening walks lol but not working! Europe is sad as the novelty has worn off so I am only here for the money but I keep visiting India thrice a year to be with my family and spend time with them as some sort of compensation for the emotional drudgery I am going through. Don’t know what destiny has written for me but I hope I don’t regret any of this later. Good luck to you,” one user wrote.
Another user said many immigrants never fully feel at home in the West unless they moved there as children.
“You don’t feel at home in the west unless you moved there between 0-10 years of age. This means your real home will only be India regardless of its problems - people will always carry this stress of being away from home. When people get older, it’s hard to justify the lack of belonging and attachment overseas,” commented another.
One user, however, cautioned the original poster about romanticising entrepreneurship and life in India. “I came with same mindset of entrepreneurship but trust me it is way harder then I thought if you are not corrupt by your soul, hard to make it big here.. and definitely not easy... You can pursue lot of things online along with the job there only to fill that void,” the user wrote.
Another pointed to the trade-offs involved in returning. “Expect a significant pay cut and reduced quality of life but India definitely gives you the best shot at pursuing your true passion,” the comment read.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)