For a lot of people, moving abroad is seen as the ultimate goal. Better jobs, cleaner cities, new experiences and, hopefully, a better quality of life.But ask anyone who’s actually done it, and they’ll probably tell you the story isn’t quite that simple.A former Google employee recently shared what the last six months of living overseas have been like, and it wasn’t the usual post about dream jobs or picture-perfect weekends. Instead, she spoke about missing home, learning to depend on herself and, surprisingly, coming to value India more after leaving it.Her post has resonated with plenty of people online, especially those who know what it’s like to pack up their lives and start over in a completely different country.The post was shared on X by Anu Sharma, a Forward Deployed Engineer who has worked at Google, X and Intuit.Looking back on the past six months, she said living abroad taught her lessons she never saw coming.One of the biggest surprises was that life overseas isn’t simply “better.”In her words, your quality of life somehow improves and becomes harder at the same time.Some things definitely get easier. Others suddenly become your responsibility. There are no shortcuts, no familiar faces to call every time something goes wrong and no family waiting around the corner to help. It’s a different kind of life, and adjusting to it takes more than most people expect.Another realisation caught her completely off guard.Moving away didn’t make her less connected to India. If anything, it did the opposite.Being outside the country made her notice just how many opportunities exist back home. She admitted that living abroad had actually made her feel more optimistic about India’s future, something she hadn’t expected before making the move.Then came the part that many people instantly related to.Homesickness.She admitted it’s real, and it hits much harder than people imagine before they leave.No matter how exciting your new city is, there are days when all you want is a meal cooked at home, familiar conversations or simply being around people who have known you for years. Video calls help, but they never fully replace being there.Living abroad also forced her to become independent much faster than she expected.Every little thing suddenly becomes your job. From managing paperwork and groceries to figuring out problems on your own, there’s no one to automatically step in.Looking back, she joked that six months abroad had aged her by six years.It’s the kind of line that made many people smile because they knew exactly what she meant.She also spoke about the unexpected bonds she built at work.When your family is thousands of kilometres away, colleagues often become the people you celebrate with, lean on and spend most of your time around. Slowly, they stop feeling like just co-workers and start feeling more like your own little support system.Perhaps the most touching part of her post was her idea of what “home” really means.She wrote that home isn’t about the country you live in or how beautiful the city is.It’s about the people.You can wake up every morning in one of the most stunning places in the world, but if the people you love aren’t there, something never feels quite complete.That simple thought seemed to resonate with hundreds of people reading her post.She ended by sharing that she’ll be back in Delhi for the next few months, and judging by the response online, many understood exactly why that felt special.The comments quickly filled up with people sharing similar experiences.Some said every single point felt familiar because they’d gone through the same emotional roller coaster after moving overseas.Others agreed that homesickness is something you can never fully prepare for. You only understand it once you’re living far away from the people you’ve always counted on.One person joked that living abroad isn’t for everyone, especially if you’ve grown up in a family where someone has always been around to help. Another took the conversation in a different direction, pointing out Sharma’s career and asking whether she could guide people interested in becoming a Forward Deployed Engineer.But beyond the career conversations, one theme kept coming back.Sometimes, it takes leaving home to understand what home really means.And maybe that’s why Sharma’s post has connected with so many people. It isn’t trying to convince anyone that life abroad is better or worse.It’s simply an honest reminder that every opportunity comes with its own trade-offs.You may gain independence, a great career and a whole new life.But you’ll probably miss Sunday lunches, family conversations, festivals at home and all those little things you never realised mattered so much until they were no longer part of your everyday life.
