Dec 13, 2019
3 Years and Counting . . . My Love-Hate-Love Forever relationship with PuraVida
If I draw parallels to the butterfly effect to unfold all the events in my life,
the most distinguished one would be the one which portrays my travel to Costa Rica.
The saga begins around October 2016 with an offer extended for me to work for my company’s Costa Rica wing. As an inherent globetrotter, I loved the thought of traveling out of India to Costa Rica.
Having done the due diligence, I gladly accepted the offer and was exuberant to travel to Costa Rica. My acceptance may have been glad, but not the consequences of it, at least initially.
As with any travel out of the home country, I had to carry heavy gear. But I miscalculated the weight of the intangible impedimentum called emotions. Those emotions are heavier to carry than the 23kg + 23kg baggage allowance :)
However, with great aspirations, I started my journey on 22nd January 2017 and reached the land of happiness, Costa Rica — 16,000 km away on 22nd January 2017. Magic of time difference, I thought. It did not take long enough for me to discern — “my time is different from then!”
23rd January 2017 —
Jetlag, until then was a theory that I was experiencing for the first time. A time difference of 11.5 hours had taken a toll. While the jetlag faded away slowly, I began conceiving the reality that I am 16,000 km away from my home, away from my family and friends, in a completely different time zone, different country, surrounded by people who do not speak the same tongue, people whose food habits are different, culture is different.
Swiftly, the heavy intangible impedimentum that I carried during my journey manifested itself into tears dripping down from my eyes.
The thought that I am on the other side of the world has troubled so much and made me wonder if I meet my people literally only on the other side.
I started missing my family, my friends, my colleagues, for that matter even my petty fights at the office or with autowalas.
I had this secluded feeling even with 100s of people around. I felt isolated everywhere, in every aspect.
I missed Indian food.
I missed watching movies. I missed celebrating festivals together. I missed family gatherings.
Hangouts with friends turned into google hangouts with friends.
Facebook chats have become the face of this phase in the book of my life.
Also, being a vegetarian, I had difficulties deciphering food. Incognizant of Spanish, I had difficulties communicating. Content with labeled as a workaholic, I found the work-life balance of people insane. I felt alienated, depressed, angry, foolish.
Maybe gradually, all the love I had at the beginning of this saga probably has turned into hatred? Well, they say the time has an answer, all we need to do is, give time, some time.
While an internal invisible battle with my emotions was in progress for some time, the land of happiness started showing its true colors. Or maybe I started perceiving the true colors.
I realized,
I am not secluded, but I have an opportunity to meet new people.
I am not alienated, but becoming friends with multiple nationals
I am not having difficulties deciphering the food, but I am fortunate to taste new varieties of food.
I am not having difficulties comprehending Spanish, but I am learning a new language.
I am not unhappy with the work-life balance, but I deserve it.
I am not missing my family, but I am extending mine.
I am not missing my friends, but I am forming new bonds.
I am not missing Indian food, but I am learning how to cook.
I am not missing watching movies, but I am writing a great screenplay for my own life.
I am not away from my home, but I am establishing my second!
Undoubtedly,
The definition of family has changed from “my family” to “my country”.
The definition of happiness started including “We” instead of “I”.
The definition of bond has changed from “commonalities” to “communities”.
The definition of religion has changed from “Hindu” to “Indian”.
Of course,
Differences between Temple, Mosque, Church has blurred.
Differences between North Indian, South Indian has nulled.
Differences between This Caste, That Caste has become a joke.
From Akshay to an Indian to a proud Indian in Costa Rica, the journey has been an amazing one. The fact that Costa Rica Indian Association is there has truly changed my face and my phase here from a dull and depressive one to an excited and excellent one. And the fact that NTT DATA Costa Rica truly embraces diversity and values its employees first made me feel privileged.
And, this country itself gifted me with friends from Costa Rica, Venezuela, Nepal and of course India.
Fast forward to today, I am writing this after almost after a 3-year journey and instead of tears, tears of Joy drip through my eyes.
Instead of the intangible sad emotions, a proud smile has taken over. Instead of the hatred (or the resistance to change), it is my love for PuraVida that had the final smile in the battle.
Thanks to the land that gifted the world — Gallo Pinto, a beautiful nature, PuraVida, amazing adventures, the true definition of happiness and plenty more.
Food for thought:
If one crosses his/her country and he/she realizes that there are no differences among people, every religion, region has their own uniqueness and it’s just a matter of respecting that difference as uniqueness, imagine how different this world shall be when we realize, we all are one “humankind”, not different “kinds of human”.
I hope one day all of us shall realize that we are a species that differ in many aspects but are united by those very differences.
I have a dream that one day, the whole world accepts all men and women are born equal and stand for peace.
Jai Hind — Pura Vida!
Signing Off — Akshay Kumar Pallerla
