I moved to the US in August 2021 to pursue my Master’s. Fast forward to January 2024, I am equipped with an advanced degree, completed another amazing internship, and gained a year of work experience.

In many cases, one would choose to continue working in the US, while navigating the long path to citizenship. However, I never saw US as a place for me to settle. It has some of the best education, which is why I came here, but now I am heading back to India. I will spend a few weeks as a Design Fellow at a product design consultancy in Mumbai which works at the same intersection of technology, business, and users (or, design) that I am passionate about. During this time I will also be exploring opportunities in India and abroad.

I had listed out some thoughts about this move and they are all over the place. Here is the unfiltered version:

I was always okay with living in India.

Staying in the US long-term was never my preference. I will continue visiting, as I did before, but settling here isn’t what I want to do.

On my bucket list – I hope to work in Europe for a few years. It would give me the opportunity to travel across the continent.

I’ve formed meaningful friendships, ones that will last across cities and borders.

Moving to India doesn't feel like a significant trade-off. While I enjoy the independence here, I gain back family, great food, and convenience.

I enjoy staying at home, realizing it's not as common as I thought.

This is a conscious choice. I had the option to continue in my previous flexible role, allowing time for side projects and travel. However, I felt I had reached the limit of learning and growth there, and it had stopped bringing me contentment.

There are unlimited possibilities. 2023 was about saying yes – I said yes to the two positions I had without a formal application process. I said yes to travel plans, freelance projects, and a lot more. I plan to continue, because unsurprisingly, saying yes, as long as it aligns with my interests, opens doors, even if the initial payoff seems low.

Throughout the job search, I had remained surprisingly calm. It was challenging on some days. But I have confidence in my ability to keep busy.

A common thread in some of my job interview feedback has been to the tune of – you are very talented, but you will get bored in this role. I relate to this – I seek innovation, perhaps in a smaller team where I can wear different hats.

Mom said, “Don't take life too seriously.” Okay, Mom.

I had this silly idea stuck in my head, so I had to do it. Here is a 30-second edit, overdramatizing my return to India, with clips spliced from Bollywood movies, to depict the “event” of a US-educated person returning home.