I don’t know if anyone else feels this way, but I’m so confused about going to the US for a Master’s in HCI.
On one side, I want it so badly. Like genuinely badly. I want to study design and HCI at that level, meet people from around the world, work on crazy projects, experience that culture, and just see that side of the world with my own eyes. I feel hungry for it. I know I’m ready to work my ass off for it too.
But then there’s this other side of me that keeps thinking India already has everything I love. My family is here, my friends, the food, the chaos, the festivals, the comfort of just belonging. Sometimes I feel guilty even wanting to leave. Like why am I chasing something so far away when my life here is already meaningful?
And then I think maybe it’s not about “escaping” India at all. Maybe it’s just curiosity. Maybe I just want to grow, struggle, learn, fail, and see who I become in a completely different environment.
But honestly? The uncertainty scares me.
The loans scare me.
The loneliness probably will too.
At the same time, I know if I never try, I might always wonder “what if?”
Please give me some wisdom and enlighten me a little if you have been through something similar.