It’s an interesting time in your life, starting your first job. You might be on the brink of youthful idealism, ingenuously anticipating the opportunity to “make a difference” and be really important. You are getting paid, so you must be, right? In any case, I wanted to share my thoughts on the past few weeks, during which time I’ve moved out of my hometown and begun my career.
Unlike many recent university graduates starting their first job, a lot of things are familiar. I’ve returned to my college city (a metropolitan hub boasting one of the highest crime rates in the US, nonetheless!), and experience led me to set pretty low expectations for the living situation. My apartment in college was just a small step up from my living condition in India. Somehow, however, Craiglist worked out, and I have two very amicable roommates in a large, refurbished row house. And to my good fortune, I still have some university friends around as well. Old is gold.
Other things, however, feel very unfamiliar. I have bills. Lots of them. And I have to pay them with my own money – which didn’t come from a “research assistant” post. I have a 401k, which just sounds adult. I work with people whose children are my age, and thus any colleagues within a decade of my age are considered peers.
It’s an interesting time in your life when your parents start to become relatable. I think most people go through the same phases and feelings towards their parents: you know everything and are smart grown-ups (childhood); you don’t know anything, so stop bothering me (teenage years); thanks for funding my education, housing, and/or food (college); I guess your advice could be useful since I have a job now too… (post-college). I’m told that they become even more relatable once we become parents ourselves. Hopefully my babies won’t be as whiny as I was.
To know that you are fading out of the innocent idealism fast (I blame office politics), accepting your parents as real people to whom you might be able to relate, and gaining full responsibility of your own life is a transitioning phase – to real adulthood. I’m currently knees deep in transition.
It’s an interesting time in my life.
new blog please! i randomly stumbled upon your blog and enjoyed reading about your times especially now that you are back! how is life adjusting to US soil again? has your life progressed or reverted? I ask because I too spent some time in calcutta years back. and still have the penchant to return.
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