That Powerful Feeling Of Coming Home – From The Diary Of An Immigrant Mom

Home. Just the mere word is enough to give you all the warm and happy feelings. Here’s an author describing exactly what the feeling called homecoming is!

“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and the soul of its people.”-   Mahatma Gandhi

No matter where we live, whether we wear western or traditional attire, our soul will always remain close to our culture. We miss India during every festival. So we try our best to bring India home and find the balance between the cultures. And we, obviously, look forward to our India trips. The countdown begins the moment we book our tickets.

So, what does this homecoming feeling like? What are the things I truly miss having been away from home? And what are things that I look forward to when I visit India?

Read on and enjoy!

We are family

Meeting relatives, friends and a lot of people. Breaking the ice and making friends is not a very tough task when you are in India. Ten strangers will surround you when you ask for help from one of them.

It is this warmth, affection and closeness that makes living in India special. Living in the US, we miss these feelings.

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Food (home-cooked meals and street-food)

There is always something special and magical about the way mom cooks that every meal she makes has a distinctive taste. Whether, it is plain daal-chawal or a scrumptious meal, there is a taste you can never replicate even after diligently following the recipe.

I also love guava and I wait to come to India simply for the guavas (I know it sounds silly). Other than that, I also wait for the yummy chaat, kulfi and dhaba food. I look forward to attending melas (fairs) and haat (markets).

Sound of life (doesn’t feel like noise now)

Living in the USA, you don’t get to hear any car horns or the shouts of sabzi walas calling out ‘sabzi le lo re!’ Neither do you have conversations with your next door neighbour over the common wall. Nor do you hear any wedding band playing latest Bollywood songs loudly on the street.

You also don’t get to hear the distant but audible Ramayana or Bhagwat Paath that gives you the satisfaction of attending the ritual even if it isn’t at your place.

All these things are a part and parcel of your lifestyle while in India. So calling it the sound of life isn’t wrong, is it?

Local transport (auto-rickshaw)

Going from one place to another is not dependent on whether or not you know driving. I live in Texas and here, we don’t have any local transport. So for me, or should I say all Texans, local transport is a luxury. 

Festivals/Weddings/Social Gatherings

For us, getting a change to attend a wedding in India is like the icing on a cake. Living in the US, we miss the festivities, the colours, the fun and the joy. We miss the laughter that comes with the festivals and family functions.

I remember the first time, I came to India after having moved to the US, I looked forward to attending a wedding or even an engagement or reception I could attend.

My list of all the things I love about India is endless and I could go and on about it. However, I am more interested in knowing about the things you look forward to on your trips to India.

I know that more than anything, that going home is a feeling that cannot be expressed in one post or even in words. It is an experience that is different yet similar to all of us.

What does homecoming feel like to you?

A version of this was first published here.

Picture credits: YouTube

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