Phoren Dreams

“When are you going abroad?”-is the question that I have been asked a hundred times. The answer depends on who is asking-very soon, after a couple of months, next year, not interested at all-are the answers I give.

I don’t blame the questioners though. Somehow, going abroad has become the most cherished dream for most of the guys I know. Neither is it bad to dream about going abroad. After all, we all have got this one life to do whatever we dream of.

I know a lot of guys whose only dream in life is to go abroad. Some took up computer science just to go abroad, some gave JEE a miss to prepare for SAT, for some GRE was more important that board exams, for some others, any means of going abroad was welcome. I also know a few guys who went abroad just because they could afford to- “when I can afford, why not” was the answer. But the fact is, most of them were losers. They went abroad because they couldn’t make it here in India. None of them dropped IIT or IIM to go to Harvard or Stanford. They couldn’t manage to get a seat in the good institutes here so they decided to join worse institutes abroad. The next logic was studying abroad will get them better jobs. Well, that’s true, but is that the only way to succeed? I don’t agree.

I am not cribbing about people who went abroad. In most of the cases, I am happy that they atleast got what they wanted, however useless it might seem to me. I am happy that they are happy. But what makes me sad is when they feel like we are in anyway less able then them.

Now let's get to the point- when am I going abroad? The answer is “I don’t know”. I will only go when I have multiple options to choose from and I will decide which one to choose. All my life, I have tried to see that I reach level where I have options to choose from. In college I chose to study Arts when I had offers from Science and Commerce as well. I chose to take up English Literature when I had offers from Economics also. I chose to take up Instructional Design when I had offers to join Corporate Communications and Advertising. Besides, every time I decided to change my job, I got multiple options to choose from and I decided where to join (not necessarily the best paying). Now after four years of work experience, while I am working a good company with a good salary, I have chosen to go for my MBA between the choices of continuing the work and lead a good life and toil for two years and lead a better life. And yes, when I talk of choices, I mean the best choices possible. Unfortunately, I don’t have many choices left for me to decide on which institute to join for my MBA. It is going to be XLRI, the best institute in Asia Pacific for HR.

So while you are wondering as to what exactly the plan is- the plan is to do the best in work, join the best institute, top the class, get the best of offers and choose the best job. And if I ever go abroad, will not go as a loser, for sure.