A retrospection

Was planning out my return trip back to India today morning, when the thought hit me - I shall be leaving Cornell within a month's time, and if I have my way, never plan to return to USA, well at least never plan to settle in USA I mean; sightseeing, maybe I might. Just one more month to go before I return to the land I love, but also just a month more to go in this place that has taught me so much in such a short period of time. I had never felt I could make such good friends here as I have, never felt my views on what I want I should do after IIT would change so much after I come here, never imagined that I could get to see life here beyond what I thought of on day one, never felt that maybe 20 years down the line I can tell my kids that there was a time when I was at Cornell, maybe watch some of my pals here make it big in the future and yell out to others - 'I know this guy!'

I hated beer when I came here; this place taught me to love it, and now even though I don't drink anymore, I still respect beer for its power :P I loved the luxurious life that USA promises when I came here, but go back feeling that a luxurious life in isolation is nowhere comparable to a great social life, with a compromise on the luxury aspect. I came here as a devout follower on the 'Tech' path, but leave with a feeling that being an IITian isn't all about tech - it's about being smart, and there are other fields where I feel I can bring out my smartness (if any) in a better way. I came here unsure of how to adjust to live with people who were just strangers about a couple of months back, but are dear friends now - I have learnt to trust people while I was here, and have learnt to earn their trust as well - I have learnt that strangers are just friends waiting to happen. I came here thinking that IITians may be the smartest people out there, but now leave realising that even though it is so, there is a lot of scope for improvement.

Most importantly I feel though, I was taking India for granted all this while long, and now when I was weaned away from her, did I realise how much she meant to me. She has given us all that we have all this long, isn't it time we give something back? Something that matters.