After spending eight years in the United States, the Indian tech professional says he is preparing to return to India, driven by a growing “craving for stability” and a desire for a stronger sense of community that he says life in the US lacks.
In a Reddit post titled “After 2 years of thinking, I think I’m ready to move,” the user shared that despite building a secure financial life, he never felt emotionally rooted in America.
Financial success but emotional disconnection
“I moved to the US in 2016. I completed my Masters and secured a job in 2018. I was fortunate to join a great company that offered me a signing bonus in the form of shares and provided excellent support during the visa process,” he wrote.
He said he always planned to save and invest as much as possible, inspired by the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad”. “I decided to use all the money I could to build multiple sources of income. Over the next 7-8 years, I worked diligently and saved, avoiding unnecessary expenses like cars, houses and extravagant purchases. I even lived with roommates to save on rent and focus only on investments,” he shared.
Despite this disciplined approach, he admitted that emotional dissatisfaction persists. “I hated going to the office and was looking forward to the month I spent in India. I cried before I left and the thought of going back to the US was incredibly difficult. It was the hardest time of my life,” he said.
The pandemic offered a new perspective
The Covid-19 pandemic briefly changed his outlook. Working remotely allowed him to travel more freely and live a nomadic lifestyle. “I traveled a lot and had the best time ever. I started spending 3-4 months outside the US exploring different parts of the world and my time in India increased from a month to two or more,” he wrote.
The thirties created a need for stability
When he turned 30, his priorities began to change again. “Instead of embracing nomadic travel, I developed a desire for stability,” he wrote, adding that he was inspired by India’s growing startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
He started planning his move back to India in 2024, but postponed it twice due to financial uncertainty. Over the past year, he said, he’s stabilized his finances and built passive income to sustain him during the transition.
Ready to move
“And now I think I’m ready; I plan to talk to my company about moving to India,” he wrote, adding that while he will miss aspects of life in New York, he feels he’s missing something deeper.
“I feel like it doesn’t have the sense of community, the freedom to try new careers and the sense of stability that I want and crave. I honestly would still like to go back and spend the summer there, but I feel like it’s time for me to come home,” he said.
He concluded: “I feel like if I don’t make this decision, I’ll be stuck in this circle forever and never be able to do what I really want to do.
