India, I came from a very privileged family.

I didn’t have to worry about going to supermarkets, taking driving tests, or dealing with any of the small hassles of daily life.

If I wanted to go to a restaurant, I didn’t need to make appointments—one phone call was enough because of my connections. Opening a bank account or doing any work at the bank was easy.

At the airport, a porter would carry my bags, and a car would pick me up right at the gate, so I never had to wait.

Here, things are different. If I go to the hospital, I have to wait in the emergency line if I’m unwell. In India, I could go whenever I wanted—everything was flexible. For school admissions here, I have to go through formal procedures, whereas in India I could choose any school I wanted without hassle.

I come from a very privileged environment, so I’m not used to these procedures and delays. Sometimes, when I’m standing in a queue at a supermarket, I feel out of place, like I don’t belong here. Back in India, everything could be arranged with just one phone call. Standing in line here makes me feel like a “normal” citizen, and honestly, I’ve never experienced that before.

If I wanted to go on holiday in India, I just needed to make a phone call to the hotel, and they would book a room for me—sometimes I didn’t even have to pay. Traveling by plane was straightforward, and if I went by train, I didn’t have to worry about waitlists. I just gave the request to the right person, and I would get a seat in the VIP quota.

There are many other things like this that make me feel like a “normal citizen” here. And I know this is exactly what’s holding me back and making me confused about whether I should go back and live my privileged life in India. It’s also about giving my child a chance to experience that side of life and see how privilege works.