r2i forum

My story - 26 yr old single indian male.

Came to US immediately after undergrad @ Chennai in 2007

Finished MS and moved to the bay area for work in 2009

3.5 yrs of workex. Excellent career growth.

I don't own anything of significant value in the US yet(house, car).

About $140K in savings by the time I leave (+/- $10K depending on stock price).

Reasons for R2I now

Its much easier to make the decision when I'm single.

Having spent only 5 yrs in US, apart from career progress and $$$ I haven't really benefited/gained much here that I would miss when I get back.

Better to do it at my own leisure now, since my parents don't need/depend on me. May be it is the single child guilt. I want to be there for my parents and probably my future in-laws when they need me. It would really suck if they needed my help for a few months and I could afford only a month of vacation(same situation recently happened to an older cousin).

Reasons NOT to r2i (please help me fill this list)

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My options
[LIST=1]

Leave early next year, enroll for ISB MBA program or get a tech job @product company, buy a condo, get married.(this is what I think is best but need your inputs).

Get married and revisit r2i in another 5 years.(this is what my friends suggest)
[/LIST]

Go for #1, or at least don't go for #2. Once you do #2, your friends will suggest have kids and then R2I, then your friends will suggest save more money and then R2I and so on....

It is much easier to make a move when you are single. When you are married, moving becomes complicated job. Look at the various threads/diaries. You will have to consider DW's interest before R2I. I agree with nyc2ncr's view ... this is what will happen. Then you entangle yourself in US and will be difficult to leave.

It depends on what you want.

I am not sure if how familiar you are with work culture in India - unless you work for top product companies, you might be exposed to some nasty office politics and general non-professional conduct in office. Also, you might have to work late hrs etc - I mean, the whole management in india works differently. But on the better side, if you do MBA etc and get into Mgmt and climb ladders quicker, then you might be better off in India -

I recently R2I'ed on my 27th birthday from bay area too.

From your post, its not clear what you would want to do professionally in India? Working at a tech@product company will be tricky. I joined one and I should let you know that your expectations on pay might be way off than what is offered. You can probably get a decent pay at a large MNC body-shop but I dont think you can enjoy that after working in a bay area.

You have excellent savings. Kudos for that!

My reasoning for R2I was the same as yours. I wanted to come back single as later I think it will only get tougher. I see friends back in bay area that every year say that they are going to R2I next year. It never happens though.

nyc2ncr;474891Go for #1, or at least don't go for #2. Once you do #2, your friends will suggest have kids and then R2I, then your friends will suggest save more money and then R2I and so on....

The following message applies to me and some folks and please OP do not mistake me:

Get Married and bring your spouse which ensure we Don't R2I now - Have Kids and R2I after 5 years - Apply GC which will ensure we will not R2I for another 5 years - Apply USC which will ensure we will not R2I for another 5 years - By the time US will see 2 more recessions, savings gets wiped out and Kid will be above 12 years which will ensure that we will be forced to LIA and never R2I:))

The above Cycle repeats before we hit a ceiling of not fit to live neither in USA nor in India:o

@All
Thanks a lot for your inputs!! I had assumed #2 to be the easier option but clearly I wasn't thinking enough.

In the meanwhile, being the ambitious indian male, I took the GMAT(730) and now I have a decent chance of making it into a top-10 Bschool in the us. My thinking at this point is that if I do take up the mba(which I am tempted to) I would have to spend another 6-8 years in the US before I can pay back the loans and make enough money. By that time, I would be 35 (married with kids) in the US which is again nothing but a different version of #2.

Sorry if I am rambling along, just talking to myself. Your feedback is invaluable.

Already your thinking is getting more complicated with more options... You have quite a decent savings for this age ($140K in 401(k)), most of us (including myself) who came in quite earlier lost lot of money on our savings (401(k)) + the money invested on House, by that time decided to move back to India, at-least in my case this is what happened, don't know about others, I think I missed the boat in early 2000 when I should have returned to India then or atleast invested in a house I did not do either, now I have R2Ied 2 years back, quite happy with my return from Career (no high expectations) and Family (wife + kids happy everyday) perspective. Though had to spend more on purchasing my own house I feel it's worth it as I am going to live here for rest of my life, as someone said in this thread, the cycle of singe (now) to double (after getting married) to more members (1-2 kids) to GC to USC and then finally Career and Satisfaction is quite a long journey! If your heart strongly says you want to move back then go ahead and do it now. There is no end to career satisfaction or making more money, it will only pull you more deeper into it if you chase for it and make you circle life long.

All the best in whatever options you choose, may be after reading my post you may come up with 4th Option! :)

r2itrial;476893@All
Thanks a lot for your inputs!! I had assumed #2 to be the easier option but clearly I wasn't thinking enough.

In the meanwhile, being the ambitious indian male, I took the GMAT(730) and now I have a decent chance of making it into a top-10 Bschool in the us. My thinking at this point is that if I do take up the mba(which I am tempted to) I would have to spend another 6-8 years in the US before I can pay back the loans and make enough money. By that time, I would be 35 (married with kids) in the US which is again nothing but a different version of #2.

Sorry if I am rambling along, just talking to myself. Your feedback is invaluable.