Nerve Endings Firing Away

I have been holding this off for sometime. There have been few drastic changes to my personal life lately and I thought I share them here. I will be leaving Atlanta and moving to College Station, Texas to continue my doctoral education. After roaming the wilderness of part-time employment in the past year, I have decided to complete my PhD. I will be joining Texas A&M University in hopes of focusing my research on my earlier fascination for urban planning and architecture. However, my public policy education will not be wasted; it has given me insight on political structures, policy analysis, role of values and ideologies, and research methods and statistics that would be extremely useful for my future research. 

The most difficult part, however in this change is the move from Atlanta where I have spent the last five years. I came here as an unsure and confused graduate student and now I would immodestly claim to have transformed into a mature, independent, and responsible person enriched with experiences and education that I wish for everyone out there. Atlanta was the ideal place to gradually settle in the American way of life, which I have come to appreciate after seeing it at close quarters. Not too crowded or fast-paced as New York, LA, or Chicago and not too small and desolate as a country settlement, it is the perfect foil for a newcomer. Entrenched in liberal values in a conservative state, Atlanta also is culturally diverse and home to almost four top-notch universities in its vicinity, creating a fine learning environment. It will definitely difficult to leave a place that you now almost know inside out. I know people and people know me around here. I will also be going away from friends so that is going to hurt. Don’t mind if I get a little sentimental on here as the departing date (July 28) nears.

Moving to a college town much smaller than Atlanta is going to be
difficult but I look forward to the experience nevertheless. Moving to
a more conservative state doesn’t bother me since I don’t air my views
out in the open if I know they will not be taken well (heck, did I
bother what color state I was going to when I first moved to the US?).
Moving although difficult has always been an exciting time for me and I
like to say that I fit right in any place I go. The best part, however
is that Ash also will be moving to Houston, mere 90 miles away from
College Station, to continue her graduate studies. Amazingly, she had
thought about moving to a different field and/or a university even
before we got together so any arguments of her following me or vice
versa are rendered null and void (not that I care but just in case). We
just like to attribute this strange twist of coincidences in our favor
to fate/destiny and are glad that we will be not too far from each
other.

I will be driving down (1000+ miles) to College Station in my rickety
old car with all my possessions (and Ash’s too). I have already shipped
my books and notes, all of 300 pounds and will be traveling with only
the important stuff to lessen the burden on my raam pyaari. We will
stop at New Orleans on the way before moving on. It promises to be a
fun road trip. Blogging obviously will suffer during this period of
transition and hopefully I am preparing you enough for a much subdued
blog (I will not quit! At least not yet) henceforth as I prepare to
dive back into academics soon. DesiPundit should be fine with three other contributors until I get net access at College Station. I promise to keep you posted on my progress.