Texas Diaries - 1

One fine day in December 2012, I decided not to take shit anymore. And thus began the only process I have meticulously followed in my life of 30 years.

An MBA. Almost 8 years of Corporate experience. Set married life. 3 year old beautiful daughter. Retired father. Working mother. Almost permanent, set job. Salary was good enough to fund all sorts of vagabondage. But somewhere in my heart, a voice kept telling me that I wasn’t doing what’s best for me. One day, that voice was so loud that it spoke through my lips. I told my mother,
“Aai, mee America la zato” (Mom, I will go to the US).

I was sure that with my kind of experience and educational background, a second MBA would be the best option. But I had made the mistake of MBA once already. I had taken the GRE earlier that year. I took the scorecard out of the cupboard that day and said to myself, “Let the dance begin”. After a lot of research and self-assessment, I narrowed it down to the stream I would like to specialize in. This time, it was not by instinct. I did not allow any “your-communication-skills-are-good-you-should-do-an-MBA” type of street-wizardry to impact my plans.  Once the academic program was finalized, it was time for the process.

TOEFL, Recommendation letters, SoP, transcripts, application, fees, so on and so forth. This is an extremely tedious process if you are working 6 days a week, 14 hours per day. But finally, I was able to successfully apply to three universities. Two of which admitted me. One didn’t finalize the admission because the transcripts provided by Osmania University had poor quality prints and my marks were not legible on the memo. Thanks, OU. I love you.

Once the admissions are in, the next step was education loan. However, the organization which rejected my application for an education loan citing the lamest excuse “You won’t get student visa at this age”, here is my digitus medius. Screw you. I am in Texas now.

The visa. Having spent almost about one lakh fifty thousand rupees on the process, there is still no guarantee that I would make it. And the probability, was always 0.5. On 15^th May 2013, when the happy faced visa officer approved my visa after asking basic questions, tears rolled out of my eyes like it was a bride’s farewell. Stomach ached. A 10 year old unthinkable dream was being fulfilled. I didn’t just walk out of the consulate with a heavy stomach and tears of immense joy; I walked into a new future.

The fun part is, I got my visa on 15^th May 2013 and I was scheduled to leave on 22^nd May 2013. Just 6 days in between. Given the way my luck was running, I hadn’t done any shopping whatsoever. I had refrained from even buying those large luggage bags, leave alone clothes and other things.  On 22^nd May, I finally boarded my first international flight.

After coming to the US, things slowly began to settle down. It has been almost 3 months now. In December 2012, all I had was an idea of a better life and an enhanced career. At the age of 30, I left behind my kid, wife, mother, father, friends, job, financial freedom, a set life and a lot else.

Another of my biggest worries was how I would fare in academics after a dreadful gap of almost 8 years. How will a body and mind that is so used to sybaritic indulgences get used to the rigor and discipline that a Master’s program demands?  And my past academic record being the least impressive thing on my CV, I had my own fears. I was in no shape or form to do this. All I had was a desire. But today, I got the final result of one course in my first semester. I made an A-grade. That is 90% plus. Guess that settles it.

Although this is just the beginning and there is a long way to go, the sense of satisfaction is unparalleled.  

- Deepak Karamungikar