Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Parting with a dear friend

I knew it was going to happen , but did not think too much about it till it actually happened. She was my dear friend and companion for six years. Though she had an official name I never called her that or a cutesy equivalent ..I called her "my baby". I didn't have to speak to her but I felt she always understood what was on my mind. Trustworthy,dependable and with fairly good looks she was a great catch. I knew she was to be mine the moment I saw her. I moved quickly to get in touch with her and within a few days we were together. Inseparable !
Wherever I went, she went with me. Barring a couple of short trips without her, we have been together most of the time for the past six years. Not many relationships last this long.
I had never thought for a moment that I would have to leave her and she never gave me any reason to think of leaving her either. She was always with me through tough times and happy times. She was there to listen when there was no one else to talk to and no place for me to go. She has been the equivalent of a home away from home due to the feeling of comfort and belonging I get when I am with her . But unfortunately our paths had to part.
My returning to India wasn't something she would be able to handle. She was born in the USA and would not be able to survive in India. Just the paperwork to allow her entry into India was too much and the price to pay too high. She would be too out of place there.
Things have their way of working out. I had introduced her to one of my friends and he too, just like me before him fell in love with her instantly. He talked to me and since he knew I would be leaving to India, met her a couple of times, went on a couple of drives and finally with my blessing proposed to her, requesting that she be with him. She didn't really have a choice in this and so accepted his proposal. We parted ways today. We didn't talk much the past couple of days, just took a couple of last drives together. Just drove in silence as there was too much going on in our minds.
She has gone away now, to be with some one else for ever, as part of his family. I wish them the best to come in the future. I heard some of their future plans and their hope of a baby in the near future. When her new "special someone" came to take her away I didn't have any witty words to say when we parted. All I could make was small talk and some advice to drive carefully. I stood in the freezing rain watching them drive away.... My friend and the car I drove for the past six years !

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Return to India (R2I) In Full Swing

I have known that I am to leave to India for over 2 weeks now. I have another two more weeks exactly to the day to get on the plane ... here I am at this midway point.

Prior to knowing specific dates when I was to leave I did the following:
  1. Moved all repeated online payments to one credit card and all miscellaneous payments on another. Makes life easier when one has to close accounts.
  2. Stopped buying large items.
  3. Moved to a month to month rental agreement for the apartment.
  4. Paid off all major loans.


So far I have already done the following in the past two weeks:
  1. Decided on dates to leave and bought air tickets
  2. Notified my apartment leasing office ( and sweet talked them into allowing me to pay for the first 7 days of the month instead of the whole month :-) ) .
  3. Published ads for the sale of my car . Car is as good as sold now.
  4. Rented a car for the last two weeks.
  5. Closed miscelaneous store/credit cards
  6. Determined what needs to be given away/thrown and started on that path.
  7. Mailed some books I want to keep.
  8. Decided to give away stuff than to sell ... ( books, kitchen stuff, furniture)
  9. Fixed up to shut down electricity a day after I leave.
  10. Closed fitness club membership.
  11. Deposited my last paycheck
  12. Checked on the allowable luggage weights with the airline.
  13. Bought last minute gifts planned by me/requested by family.
  14. Informed close friends through calls/chat/in person .... this causes the inevitable barrage of lunch and dinner invitations.
  15. Sent my letter of intent to leave to employer ...
  16. Informed project team members of intent to leave ( they have known I will leave in December for the past 4 months)
  17. Reserved a U-Haul to cart remaining furniture to relatives/friends homes.