It has been a long time since my last entry (almost one year!!). I have decided to record some of the events of 2011 in the form of an entry before I forget them. I hope that this entry will serve as a bookmark for 2011 whenever I decide to look back. As many people have said before, human brain is a funny thing. When you reminisce, only the happiest memories pop into your mind. Thinking hard for a few minutes brings back the others out. I am sure I will not remember most of it after two years, so I'll just write about the good things and leave out all the unpleasant memories. Year 2011 has been an eventful one. A lot of things changed. Sehwag became the first human to score a double century in ODIs. I met a lot of new people, rekindled some old times and stayed in 3 different countries for different periods of time. I guess the best idea will be to start from the beginning.
The year had one of the best possible starts - 'A Holiday'. And it was not just another holiday. It was a week of awes@meness with KGP gang in Thailand. Thailand is a beautiful country with stunning beaches and welcoming spirit. We had a blast. I really hope we repeat that soon in some other country.
The months following vacation were tense. A lot of rejection from different places. Missing deadlines and making blunders did not help. The next big event would have to be my admission to Texas A&M, although it did not come to me as a surprise. Texas A&M is located very close to industrial hubs of Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. Further, it is one of the cheapest American schools. The decision between University of Florida and Texas A&M was an easy one. A friend of mine coming to A&M from University of Florida did help in swaying my decision in favor of A&M.
I had to leave "home" two times, once from Pata and then from Ujjain. Pata had been like home for 13 months. All the friends and colleagues had a big contribution in making Pata a home. Departure from Pata was marked by trips to Kanpur with the one on my bike with my roommate being the most memorable one. A three match stint with my team for GAIL Gaon Premier league! (:P) still lies fresh in my memory. Good memories.
Months leading up to departure from India to USA were hectic to say the least. It began with arranging financial documents, resigning formalities, VISA interview, packing my bags from Pata, shopping and more packing. Other things like vaccination, medical tests went on in the background. For all the packing, I really thank the Facebook group setup by Indian students at Texas A&M. It really helped a lot. Finishing all these different things were made possible by a number of people, some of whom I did not even know. It really gave me a sense of confidence when unknown people helped me out.
On the eve of departure, I was felt something. It is not easy to describe but I guess it is what everyone feels while leaving "home". It is a cross between apprehension and excitement. A lot of hopes and expectations pinned on the journey, I started out on a long flight. The first scenes of USA were disappointing to say the least. All that build up only to land at Houston airport, which is more like a train station. Personally, I always feel better when I land and enter the airport. I felt better. My excitement always peaked at the airport. :)
I find College Station to be of the perfect size. The town is just big enough to be cozy without all the cons of a city. A lot of people may disagree but I just feel this way. It may have something to do with my upbringing in a mid size town. Anyhow, from what I have heard Texas is one of the more "gentlemanly" states where people are polite and civil. I prefer it this way.
The rest of the year consisted of my back-to-school time. It is definitely tough to get back to school after a gap to 2 years. You loose the will power to slug it out after working with PSU's. But the whole group of friends has helped a lot in getting back to college. It has been a busy yet awesome semester. I met a lot of passionate people who are at the top of their profession and yet humble.
I hope that the fun continues. I look forward to all the challenges and experiences which 2012 in store. I will surely miss a number of people and few things. But I feel that my stay will make a better person out of me.
PS: Until today, I did not realize that this post was not published. Hence, the late publishing.
PS: Until today, I did not realize that this post was not published. Hence, the late publishing.
