Taking a Step Back to Reflect

If you asked me back in college where I saw myself as I'm about to turn 25 (next month) my answer would have been completely different than my reality. I wanted a job at a pharma company, to live on my own in a new city, surrounded by my best friends. I wanted to live life carefree and unattached, having the best times with the best people. Basically, like every other girl, I wanted a Sex & the City sort of life. Cliche, I know.
In reality, I work at a cosmetic company, I live with Kunal in New Jersey, and I'm surrounded by more strangers than friends.

I still am not sure how we managed to leave the greatest state in the country for America's armpit...but here we are. I must admit, the first year was a huge struggle. All our friends were back home, the winter was unbearable, and we both were so homesick. But slowly, we made some friends, the season changed and we found New Jersey to become a little more bearable.

We've come a long way since we graduated. We both had moved back home with our parents, we made a 3 hour distance work for 5 months, 8 hour distance for 8 months and then the day came when I packed up my life in my car and made the solo drive up to NJ. I'm sure my parents thought I was crazy, I know my friends did. Leaving home to move in with my boyfriend? I sounded like the girl I never wanted to be, following a boy. This was so unheard of in Indian culture but if you know me, you'd know that I am not one to follow any rules but my own. As it turned out, it was definitely the right step.

People always say "Everything happens for a reason" and I am now a firm believer in that. If I hadn't stopped working at Global in February, I would have never decided to apply for a job at H&M to pass time. If I hadn't worked at H&M, I would have never had a job to come to in NJ when I decided to move. If I hadn't moved, I wouldn't be a chemist at a multi-billion dollar company.

We're about 2 weeks away from closing on our townhouse. As I look back at our past trying to fathom how we got so grown up that we're buying a townhouse, I realize life really is all about the risks you take. I'm so thankful that all my risks have led me into the direction I want to be. But, as my OCD/pre-plan everything personality is ever so present, every risk is definitely researched fully before undertaking.