After building ‘dream life’ in Canada, Indian woman plans to return home: ‘Success alone doesn’t create fulfilment’

An Indian woman decided to return home after building her “dream life” in Canada, saying success felt incomplete.

For many Indians, moving abroad to study, building a career there and creating an independent life in a new country is often seen as the ultimate dream. But for 23 year old Sharone Pandori, who moved from Goa to Canada in 2021, that dream has now led her to a very different realisation.

An Indian woman in Canada said she had a stable career abroad but wanted to return home to build something meaningful.

Pandori, who studied at Western University in Canada and built a life around academics, work and independence, is now planning to move back to India. Her decision, she says, is not rooted in disappointment with Canada, but in a deeper desire to build something more meaningful back home.

Speaking with HT.com, Pandori said, “I moved to Canada in 2021 to pursue my undergraduate degree.”

She said she had always been drawn towards media, storytelling, communication and creative expression. Studying abroad, for her, felt like an opportunity to experience a different environment while gaining wider exposure in the field.

“A big motivation for me was also independence. Watching my older brother move abroad earlier made me curious about how much a new environment can shape you personally, and at 18, that idea felt incredibly exciting to me,” she said.

Life in Canada and the education that shaped her

Before moving to Canada, Pandori completed her schooling in Goa with a humanities background in senior secondary, focusing mainly on Economics, Business Studies and Mass Media. She said these subjects naturally aligned with her interest in communication and creative industries.

In Canada, she attended Western University, where she studied Media, Information and Technoculture, along with a certification in Digital Communication.

“One thing I genuinely appreciated about studying abroad was the flexibility within the education system,” she said.

She moved to Canada in 2021, excited by the idea of international exposure, meeting people from different backgrounds, learning in a new environment and experiencing independence for the first time.

“Like many young Indians, I had also grown up seeing life abroad as exciting and full of opportunity. While that’s definitely true in many ways, I think the emotional reality of living alone in another country is something you only fully understand once you experience it yourself,” she said.

Despite the emotional challenges, Pandori said she has no regrets. “Living abroad during some very formative years of my life helped me become far more adaptable, self reliant, and confident as a person,” she added.

‘Dream life’ was about growth, not luxury

Pandori said her life in Canada was not simply about appearances or comfort. For her, the “dream life” meant growth, independence and becoming the person she had imagined herself to be when she first moved abroad.

“For me, the ‘dream life’ in Canada was never about luxury or aesthetics alone. It was about growth, independence, and becoming the kind of person I had imagined for myself when I first moved abroad,” she said.

Academically, she wanted to do well and make the most of the education she had worked hard to pursue. Professionally, she wanted to gain experience early and build financial independence while still studying.

Pandori said she worked consistently throughout her time in Canada in roles connected to communications and marketing. She worked within social media and marketing for university libraries, later took up communication and marketing related roles in the university’s tech services department and also served as a student ambassador for three consecutive years.

She said her time abroad was not limited to classes and exams. “Personally, I also wanted to fully experience everything university life abroad had to offer, whether that was career fairs, networking events, workshops, cultural experiences, or even traditions like homecoming,” she said.

Pandori also received a Continuing Excellence Scholarship and an Excellence Financial Award from the university. She said those recognitions reassured her that her efforts to build a life abroad were being noticed.

Graduating with Dean’s Honour

An Indian woman said Canada gave her growth and independence, but India felt like the place to build her future.

Pandori also graduated with Dean’s Honour, an achievement that she described as personally meaningful.

“Graduating with Dean’s Honour meant a lot to me personally because adapting to a completely different academic system was initially overwhelming,” she said.

She explained that the learning style in Canada was more focused on critical thinking, discussion and application, rather than memorisation. Adjusting to that system took time.

“More than anything, it felt meaningful because I knew how much personal growth had gone into that achievement behind the scenes. Seeing my parents proud of me throughout that journey was also one of the most fulfilling parts of the experience,” she said.

When the thought of returning began

Despite building a stable and successful life in Canada, Pandori said the thought of returning to India came much earlier than many people might expect.

“To be honest, the thought existed much earlier than people might expect, probably within my first year abroad,” she said.

Initially, she thought the feeling was part of homesickness and the natural challenge of adjusting to life alone in a different country. But over time, it became something deeper.

“At first, I assumed those feelings were simply part of adapting to a new environment. But over time, they evolved into deeper reflections about the kind of life I ultimately wanted to build for myself long term,” Pandori said.

Every visit back home strengthened that feeling. She said she could see how rapidly India was evolving, especially for young people interested in entrepreneurship, creativity and building something of their own.

“Gradually, the idea of returning to India stopped feeling like just an emotional pull toward home and became a much more intentional decision about where I saw myself creating impact and building my future,” she said.

Canada as a learning phase

Pandori said there was no single dramatic moment that made her view Canada as a learning phase. Instead, it was a gradual realisation that came through living independently and growing year after year.

“Living abroad changed me tremendously for the better. It taught me resilience, responsibility, independence, and how to adapt quickly to unfamiliar situations,” she said.

She added that she became much more confident in herself and in her ability to build a life from scratch in a completely new environment.

“That’s why I’ll always be grateful for my experience in Canada. I genuinely see that phase of my life as transformative and incredibly valuable,” she said.

At the same time, as she grew older, she began thinking more deeply about where she felt most emotionally connected and where she saw herself building a meaningful life beyond professional milestones.

Building something meaningful in India

For Pandori, the word “meaningful” carries both personal and social significance.

“I think ‘meaningful’ means two things to me today. One is creating something that feels personally aligned with who I am and what I genuinely care about, and the other is building something that contributes positively to people and communities around me,” she said.

She has always been drawn towards fashion and events and is currently working on a resort wear label called Vivaacio.

“I’ve always wanted to build a fashion brand from Goa rooted in authenticity and individuality rather than fast moving trends,” she said.

Apart from fashion, she is also interested in creating community led events and experiences that bring people together.

“Especially today, when so many young people experience loneliness despite being constantly connected online, I think creating real life experiences and communities has become more valuable than ever,” she said.

Success versus fulfilment

Pandori said her understanding of success has changed with time.

“Yes, absolutely. I think professional success and personal fulfillment can sometimes be very different things,” she said.

Earlier, she associated success with external milestones such as having a good job, earning well, building an impressive career and achieving stability. But over time, she realised that those achievements do not always guarantee emotional fulfilment.

“Earlier, I used to associate success primarily with external milestones — having a good job, earning well, building an impressive career, and achieving stability. And while those things are important, I slowly realized that they don’t automatically create emotional fulfilment. That realization became stronger during my time abroad. Even though I was happy with the direction of my academic and professional journey, I also started questioning what genuinely made me feel purposeful beyond productivity or achievement,” she said.

She also volunteered with an Indian NGO, teaching spoken English to underprivileged students online. That experience, she said, gave her satisfaction that was not tied to money, titles or career milestones.

“Today, success to me means building a life that feels emotionally aligned, creatively fulfilling, and connected to the kind of impact I want to create long term,” she said.

What she loved about Canada

Pandori said she continues to appreciate many things about Canada, especially as an international student. She admired the multicultural university environment, support systems, mentorship programmes, workshops and campus initiatives that helped students adjust socially and academically.

“Most importantly, Canada gave me exposure to people, cultures, and experiences that shaped me tremendously as a person. I’ll always be grateful for that,” she said.

At the same time, she felt that the emotional and community aspect of life she had grown up with in India was difficult to replicate abroad.

“Canada gave me incredible opportunities and growth, but culturally, life there is also much more individualistic and independent,” she said.

She added that she missed close family connections, spontaneous social interactions, festivals, everyday warmth and the social energy of India.

“There’s a certain energy in India whether it’s the people, the social environment, the festivals, the conversations, or simply being surrounded by familiarity that made me feel emotionally grounded in a way that was difficult to fully replicate abroad,” she said.

‘Returning home is not a compromise’

Pandori said her family has been supportive of her decision. Online too, the response has been mixed but mostly curious and positive. Many people reached out to ask about her life in Canada, while some Indians living abroad told her they too hoped to return home someday.

She believes more young Indians abroad are now rethinking the idea of settling overseas permanently.

“I think earlier, settling abroad was often seen as the ultimate definition of success. But today, people are beginning to define success more personally rather than socially,” she said.

She added that India’s changing professional landscape, especially in entrepreneurship, remote work, startups and creative industries, has made many young people feel that opportunity and fulfilment do not exist only outside India.

“Earlier, many people may have felt hesitant to even admit they wanted to move back because it could be misunderstood as ‘giving up’ or ‘failing.’ But increasingly, people are realizing that choosing where you want to build your life is a deeply personal decision and returning home can be a conscious choice, not a compromise,” she said.

For Pandori, the next phase is not about starting over. It is about returning with a new perspective.

“Canada gave me experiences and lessons that I’ll always carry with me, and I’m grateful for that. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing what I can build with those experiences back home over time,” she said.