Vacation to India VS Return to India..

[Archana935]

The R2I bug hits us mainly coz of three factors..

1)Nostalgia
2)Vacations to India sans responsibilities and relatives, friends available to talk and going out almost everyday and eating out favorite foods..
3)Every time we go to India,we are witness to how much India has changed..
4)Loneliness

However,We also forget the facts that USA is already a developed nation and is also growing.When I first came to America during the early 2000,I just had a walkman and then iPod emerged :)..now it's a whole different thing..

Regards loneliness, what I witness last time in my India trip is nowadays, it's not like we can make a walk it to anyone's home and not everyone is available to go out.YES..we hear sounds and traffic etc,but it's a whole different thing to be loneliness admits a crowd.Doing things alone be it going to a movie or mall in America does not feel weird but back it India feels different.

Also,people like me left India after college.At the time,I was always surrounded by people and hence it made a drastic difference when I first moved to America.After I started working,atleast it kept me diverted.


One of my friend back in India always bashes America.Though I prefer India,it does not mean one hates America.It has definitely moulded many for the better.
Her point is,NRI's are moving back so much to India and living life to the fullest.

1)How different is life day to day in India after you moved back?
2)What are the activities and social life which changed on a regular basis once you moved back?Living life to the fullest as in..what changed?
3)How different is it for a homemaker back in India?

Sure..vacations are always fun as you see only the best side to any country.What is the reality? Happy to see many r2i and writing success stories.However,many have returned back too.Once going back, no matter what pay or what lifestyle America offers, why come back when one left them back here in the first place to go back?

I posted this thread with so many questions, whatever came to my thoughts to have a broader view.Most of the dilemma and confusions are because of the awesome vacation influence..Do you still feel the same way about your decision?

[Umang]

India is a hellhole. Don't even think of coming back. Indians are very nice to guests but horrible to permanent residents.

India is great for vacations. So, buy a second home in a nice place like Goa, Lonavla, Alibaug, Nilgiris, Himachal or Uttarakhand and just come when you are missing India. That is the only solution for people like us.

[plansup]

Return to India is a socio-economic problem.

If you dont have to work for living then it is only a social problem.

You can replace "problem" with "challenge" in the statements above, to make it sound more positive.

The R2I bug hits us mainly coz of three factors..

1)Nostalgia
2)Vacations to India sans responsibilities and relatives, friends available to talk and going out almost everyday and eating out favorite foods..
3)Every time we go to India,we are witness to how much India has changed..
4)Loneliness

However,We also forget the facts that USA is already a developed nation and is also growing.When I first came to America during the early 2000,I just had a walkman and then iPod emerged :)..now it's a whole different thing..

Regards loneliness, what I witness last time in my India trip is nowadays, it's not like we can make a walk it to anyone's home and not everyone is available to go out.YES..we hear sounds and traffic etc,but it's a whole different thing to be loneliness admits a crowd.Doing things alone be it going to a movie or mall in America does not feel weird but back it India feels different.

Also,people like me left India after college.At the time,I was always surrounded by people and hence it made a drastic difference when I first moved to America.After I started working,atleast it kept me diverted.


One of my friend back in India always bashes America.Though I prefer India,it does not mean one hates America.It has definitely moulded many for the better.
Her point is,NRI's are moving back so much to India and living life to the fullest.

1)How different is life day to day in India after you moved back?
2)What are the activities and social life which changed on a regular basis once you moved back?Living life to the fullest as in..what changed?
3)How different is it for a homemaker back in India?

Sure..vacations are always fun as you see only the best side to any country.What is the reality? Happy to see many r2i and writing success stories.However,many have returned back too.Once going back, no matter what pay or what lifestyle America offers, why come back when one left them back here in the first place to go back?

I posted this thread with so many questions, whatever came to my thoughts to have a broader view.Most of the dilemma and confusions are because of the awesome vacation influence..Do you still feel the same way about your decision?

[pqr2012]

I am very happy with my r2i decision.

r2i has worked out very well for me.

I definitely miss the parks, outdoor in USA.

But I am happy to be living with my parents and family.
I am happy to see India grow every day.
I am happy to help in my own little way other Indians.
I am happy to make great friends here in India who will be
my companion in my old days.

There have been issues during the first few years but honestly in my
mind I envisioned much more difficult times.

Things are becoming better every day here in India.

I am totally happy in India with my family and if a hedge fund offer me
a million $ + job (if I would have stayed back in USA my salary by now
would be definitely more than that) in USA I will decline it.

The best part due to growth in Indian equity I think I will in the
long run make more than if I would have stayed in USA and worked
for 80hrs + per week.

It is really great time to be in India and I am really enjoying it to the fullest.

In the long run r2i is definitely better than lia.

By the way I had a dream 11 yrs in USA. But for family reasons primarily I decided to
r2i. But overall I think r2i will give me much more happiness than if I would
have decided to lia.

[itsvennela]

almost 7 years since R2I. My thoughts.

1)How different is life day to day in India after you moved back?

More work to do around the house. Even if you have an army of helpers at home, there is always enough work to do.

Lot of time is spent on getting work done from unskilled and untrained people. Be it domestic help at home or .NET developer in office. Sometimes its mind numbing and sometimes rewarding when you finally get your point across.

Quality of products(Food, appliances, furniture or any other items) we use is low. You can always pay a premium and buy imported stuff from pricey supermarkets but after a few years, you shop where your neighbors or friends shop.

Strong support system. When my daughter was young and especially cranky, whenever she cried for more than 5-10 min, my neighbor would come and ask if any help is needed. Another neighbor used to take care of my daughter during the meetings when I worked from home. They helped when I was sick, had on-call rotations, meetings scheduled in the last minute etc. It does come with a level of intrusion into our personal lives but I found only curiosity and no malice in it. However it is difficult to build this support network if you do not contribute to it equally.

Difficult keep our finances private. Everyone wants to know how much you make but they won't blindly believe what you say. They estimate what you are worth based on your job/business, your house, lifestyle, other assets, car, jewelry etc. The key is to set the lifestyle to what you want people to believe in and be consistent. Don't keep saying that you make only 15 lakhs/annum and then buy a BMW. You will not be forgiven for making a fool out of them.

I still do not know why but most of my decisions in US were driven by fear. Fear of losing a job, losing an opportunity, contacting a rare disease or something. That anxiety or the fear of the unknown was always there at the back of our minds. Even though the chances of those actually happening are high in India, we are not that worried. Probably because of the fatalistic attitude here.

2)What are the activities and social life which changed on a regular basis once you moved back?Living life to the fullest as in..what changed?

You will attend more functions, entertain more relatives than friends. The amount of time you spend with relatives goes up and with friends goes down especially if you move close to your hometown.

Fewer opportunities for outdoor activities.

If you cannot spend time with people from your gender, your social life will be limited. Men and women usually don't mingle all that much.

Less pressure to keep up with the Joneses and to project an image of successful happy family. Everyone's troubles are mostly public knowledge so no point in hiding them. This is my experience only and doesn't apply to everyone.

3)How different is it for a homemaker back in India?

Don't know about homemaker but I suggest not staying in parent's or in-law's house. Different floor in the same complex or same colony might be okay. My impression is if you belong to a conservative family, being a homemaker means a lot of additional work without any recognition, microaggresions, loads of guilt every time something goes wrong in family etc. Don't R2I if casual insults from family is normal. No amount of nostalgia is worth it. Any control over your life you lose in the beginning is lost forever. This applies to all not just homemakers.

I'm very happy with R2I and I don't know if I can say I'm living my life to the fullest. For me, it is certainly better than LIA.

[spbos]

itsvennela , Nice insights!

[FB2020]

India is a hellhole. Don't even think of coming back. Indians are very nice to guests but horrible to permanent residents.

India is great for vacations. So, buy a second home in a nice place like Goa, Lonavla, Alibaug, Nilgiris, Himachal or Uttarakhand and just come when you are missing India. That is the only solution for people like us.

Do you have a second home in India? Or do you know of anyone who has? How has been their experience maintaining it, and do they think its worth it?

[Umang]

Do you have a second home in India? Or do you know of anyone who has? How has been their experience maintaining it, and do they think its worth it?

This thread has some useful insights: http://www.r2iclubforums.com/forums/showthread.php/39965-Vacation-home-in-india?

Edit: I just noticed you are the author of that thread. Never mind.

I can suggest specific property developers like Isprava and Uniland Estates. Have a look and let me know what you think. You'll need a minimum of 3CR to purchase an Isprava home.

[pqr2012]

Second home is not worth it (unless you spend at least 3 months per year).

[FB2020]

This thread has some useful insights: http://www.r2iclubforums.com/forums/showthread.php/39965-Vacation-home-in-india?

Edit: I just noticed you are the author of that thread. Never mind.

I can suggest specific property developers like Isprava and Uniland Estates. Have a look and let me know what you think. You'll need a minimum of 3CR to purchase an Isprava home.

Yes, this topic has been on my mind for a while, but no decision yet.. Its another dilemma, just like r2i dilemma :)

I'm not looking for any vacation-style homes such as what you mentioned. looking for a regular apt in the city where the family folks live..
If I choose to buy, maybe I'll give it to a property manager to maintain/rent. Hopefully the rent can cover the maintenance/expenses.