I was 17 when I first left home to study abroad. I had randomly filled out college applications, with no clue of what I really wanted to do. All I hoped was to go somewhere far away. When I got accepted into Singapore Management University, I was over the moon. I would live on my own for the first time ever, and I couldn’t wait. But as time came to pack up my life in Dehradun and move far out of my comfort zone, I was terrified. In the days leading up to my departure, the butterflies of nervousness fluttered so hard in my tummy that I fell ill and had to delay my flight.
Over the last few days, I’ve been feeling a similar kind of nervousness.
Of course, I’m in a very different phase of life now. I’m 36, with a whole range of life experiences under my belt, and plenty of grey strands to bear witness! But I type this while in transit to the US, on an educational pursuit I never imagined I’d undertake.
It all began with curiosity. During the void of the pandemic, I tip-toed back into the academic world, hungry to learn more about the climate and biodiversity crisis we’re facing. The next thing I knew, I was neck deep into an invigorating learning journey.
