Delhi woman shares five Indian habits she refuses to drop even after moving to US
In a conversation with HT.com, she shared how she enjoyed the best of both worlds by living in India and the US.
While moving to a new country often requires shedding old habits for survival, one Indian woman living in the US argues that certain traits are essential anchors that actually make life better abroad. In an Instagram post, Pragya Gupta explains five habits that she refuses to give up.
“People think moving to the US changes everything about you… but some Indian habits actually make your life better here and I refuse to let them go,” Gupta wrote and shared a video.
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She shared the five habits she still practises and also explained the reason behind them. The habits she mentioned include keeping her house shoe-free, keeping her Indian ‘jugaad’ mindset, saving more than she spends, regularly eating home-cooked food, and staying connected with her family.
She explained that keeping her house shoe-free makes it clean, while eating home-cooked food makes her “grounded, healthier, and connected” to where she is from.
{{/usCountry}}She explained that keeping her house shoe-free makes it clean, while eating home-cooked food makes her “grounded, healthier, and connected” to where she is from.
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, she shared that her mindset of “jugaad” is like a superpower in the US, as it helps her to “solve problems quickly, adapt fast, and make the most of any situation.”
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, she shared that her mindset of “jugaad” is like a superpower in the US, as it helps her to “solve problems quickly, adapt fast, and make the most of any situation.”
{{/usCountry}}“The US can make you spend without thinking with the variety of options and forced consumerism. But that Indian discipline of saving first protects me from heavy lifestyle creep and financial stress,” she explained while talking about saving more than spending.
{{/usCountry}}“The US can make you spend without thinking with the variety of options and forced consumerism. But that Indian discipline of saving first protects me from heavy lifestyle creep and financial stress,” she explained while talking about saving more than spending.
{{/usCountry}}Explaining her point of staying connected with her family, the NRI wrote, “Different time zones don’t matter. Regular video calls, picture updates, and small check-ins keep me rooted and emotionally steady.”
{{/usCountry}}Explaining her point of staying connected with her family, the NRI wrote, “Different time zones don’t matter. Regular video calls, picture updates, and small check-ins keep me rooted and emotionally steady.”
{{/usCountry}}“Moving abroad doesn’t erase who you are. Some habits actually make you stronger here,” she wrote and concluded her post. Gupta works as a Sales Manager for a biotechnology company.
What are the culture shocks she faced?
Recalling the cultural shocks, Gupta told HT.com, “A few soft culture shocks, people in the US really don’t bother you, they’re far less judgmental, and surprisingly helpful. Everyone greets you warmly, respects your space, and lets you just be yourself.” She moved to the US in August 2021 to pursue her master’s degree at Columbia University and later secured a job.
When asked about the biggest difference between India and the US, she told HT.com, “In the US, people genuinely prioritise quality of life: clean air, good produce, weather, comfort, work-life balance. In India, we tend to prioritise value for money and efficiency more than comfort. Both perspectives add something unique.’
Talking about her “Indian habits”, she said, “I stay connected to home in small everyday ways. I still go to the temple, sometimes with my white American boyfriend, and we cook a lot of Indian food together. I continued to be a vegetarian after moving to the States and he has genuinely adapted to my lifestyle, which makes it feel even more special.”
“America truly is the land of opportunity, but the warmth of India is unmatched. I feel lucky to experience the best of both worlds,” she added.
Her post was met with various kinds of responses, including one racist one. An individual wrote, “I’m a north Indian and raised in the US, and I think I actually have picked up a lot of Indian habits, maybe some more than my immigrant parents.” Another reacted with a heart emoticon.
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Pragya Gupta’s Instagram bio shows she is a traveller who has visited 24 countries on four continents. She currently resides in Houston, USA.
