Global Citizens Living in US for 20+ Years with a Stint to Live in India for 7 Years

"We met on August 21st, 1988. Our dating started then and the journey continues - we're still dating though married for 31 years." Nagesh and Rangan's story spans three decades, two continents, and countless adventures. From landing in Atlanta in 1997 with $50 in pocket to buying a $500K house in Silicon Valley, from building a 4,200 sq ft villa in India to raising kids across cultures - their journey as global citizens offers a masterclass in adaptability, partnership, and living without regrets.

The Beginning: College Sweethearts to US Offer

Both Nagesh and Rangan are engineers from Bangalore, meeting at Malnad College of Engineering (about 180 km from Bangalore) in 1988.

"I met Rangan in college in 1988 to be precise. I don't know if Rangan remembers the date - I do. It is August 21st, 1988. Our dating started then and the journey continues. We are still dating though we are married for last 31 years."

Their Backgrounds

The US Offer Dilemma

In 1997, Rangan got an offer from Fortuna Technologies to move to the US. She almost said no:

"I remember saying no to that offer purely because I thought Nagesh would not enjoy coming to the US. Being a non-IT guy, being a sales guy - what would he do there? We were pretty settled in India, blessed with our first son. Least we thought we'd step out of India."

The CEO's Offer to Nagesh

When Rangan declined citing her husband, something unexpected happened:

"The CEO of Fortuna Technologies, TC Ashok, said: 'Nagesh, if you're in sales and marketing, I would like to have you on board. Why don't you come?' I said: 'I'm not even an IT guy - what will I come and sell?' He said: 'I used to sell insurance. If I could start an IT services company, I'm sure you can definitely do it. It's just the concept that matters.'"

The Push She Needed

"What's very important is sometimes you have a lot of potential but until someone says 'go try, do it' - you'll never know that is within you. I'm really lucky. Nagesh said 'go ahead, try it, it's okay, we are here.' My dad said the same. I just needed that good backing."

Landing in America: $50 and a Cab Ride

The culture shock began immediately:

"In India, we never heard about contracting. When you join a company, you work with them. But US was way ahead in contracting. I landed in Atlanta and told Nagesh: I have to go through interviews again! We thought when she had an offer, employment was already on. It was not the case."

The $50 Story

Nagesh followed with their son, carrying just $50:

"Every dollar mattered - converting dollar to rupee or rupee to dollar. It was 33 rupees per dollar. I asked Rangan how much to carry. She said 'carry $50, that's good enough.' I converted rupees to dollars, got my son, and landed in Atlanta. She came to receive us and said 'let's take a cab instead of the train.' The meter had already crossed $55 though I had $50 in my pocket! That was our first debate - instead of asking how are you, we argued about the money blown away!"

The Vegetarian Struggle

"Finding vegetarian food was a huge deal. No search engines to find places. I went to McDonald's and asked what they have in vegetarian. They said: 'Vegetarian? What is that?' I said no meat. They asked: 'Are you okay with chicken?' I said no meat! So I got a burger bun with just lettuce and tomatoes. We were even scared of cheese - Amul cheese was the only cheese we knew in India."

H1B in 7 Days

"Those days within no time - I got my H1B in 7 days, Rangan probably similar. It took us like 2-3 months total and we got our approvals. No long processes, pretty easy. Though we were scared about facing consulate interviews, it was pretty simple compared to what it is today. Today it's a bad word I must say."

Silicon Valley Life: House, Business, Community

From Atlanta to Connecticut to California - they found their home in Bay Area:

"Within 1.5 years in Bay Area, we decided to buy a house in Santa Clara. We paid $500,000 for a small 1,667 square foot three-bedroom house. Our friends in Dallas Texas paid $130,000 for a massive bungalow at the same time. They teased me saying I'm out of my mind to pay so much. Those days $500,000 was a big big deal!"

Building Community

"We stayed in a lovely neighborhood in Santa Clara - hub of Silicon Valley, close to San Jose. We started noticing lots of Indians moving in with strollers, similar age group with small kids. It was fun - you go to a departmental store, bump into another Indian family, talk for hours, share similar stories of how they made it to the US."

Starting His Own Company

"After serving Fortuna Technologies for 4.5 years, I decided to quit because the company was about to be acquired. I started my own company called iDon in 2002. Rangan was still consulting with them. We thoroughly enjoyed 10 years of our stay in California."

The Midnight Property Purchase in India

In 2004, Nagesh made an impulsive decision that changed everything:

"We subscribed to Indian Express even in the US - every weekend we got this magazine. I saw a centerfold ad for a beautiful gated villa community in Bangalore. I ran it by Rangan casually - she took it too casual. At midnight, I'm chatting online with the salesperson who sold it like it's the last plot available. I couldn't wake her up, so I paid the down payment by credit card!"

The 5 AM Confession

"I couldn't sleep the whole night because it was a major decision. At 5 AM I woke her up and said: 'Rangan, we bought a plot in India - it's a gated community where we have to start villa construction soon.' She's half asleep, brushed it aside thinking I'm pulling her leg. Buying property online in 2004 seemed impossible! When she woke up properly, she said: 'Now I'm up - what did you say? Can you please tell me?'"

Building Without Visiting

"Without visiting India, we got the house constructed - a massive 4,200 square foot villa. Thanks to my parents who helped monitor the construction back in India."

Life Lessons: Nothing is Permanent

When Nagesh suggested moving from Santa Clara to Cupertino for better schools, Rangan resisted:

"I was thinking I'm going to retire in this house. Like my parents - once you build or buy a house, it's there for eternity. I had pictures planned, children growing up here, passing away in the same house. Nagesh said: 'It's just a commodity - you can't get stuck to a house.' That's when something hit me - nothing is permanent."

The Partnership Philosophy

"If you have a good partner, you can cross a lot of things. It's always a team effort. She has bent backwards to all my adventurous acts, likewise whenever she wants to do something, I try to bend backwards. What matters is your companionship - be it anywhere."

Go With the Flow

"What the whole journey has taught us is just try to go with the flow. Things will work but you have to make it work - it's not like everything just falls into place. You have to put your 150% and leave everything else to whatever you want to call it. It's not about the destination but probably the journey."

The Importance of Travel

"You have to travel the world because when you travel, you meet people, understand their lives, and say: my problems are nothing. You see amazing people do fantastic things which makes you feel really humble. I really want people to travel."

Why They Decided to Move Back to India

After 10 years in California, the pull to India became stronger:

The Cultural Connection

"Typical of we Indians - maybe culture being what it is, or maybe it's the food, or the connection to our families. All along though we enjoyed our 10 full years of California, the love for India continued to happen."

The Communication Challenge

Staying connected with family in India was expensive and limited:

"Those days talking to her parents was a huge deal - there was no video call. I remember AT&T had a scheme: if you call India only on Saturdays or Sundays at some particular time, they would give you 4 more minutes. Otherwise they would charge like $1-3 per minute - so expensive! You had all your emotions bundled up for Saturday and Sunday."

Parents' Visits Were Limited

Even when parents visited, they couldn't stay long:

"Luckily we got our parents to visit our home in US - my parents, then Rangan's dad. We felt very nice and warm. But whatever said and done, they had their life going on back in India. They could not stay in US too long because their life was tied with our lifestyle - if we step out, they could step out because they could not drive on their own."

The Kids Factor

With two sons now (Atria and Arian), they wanted them to experience India:

Continue to Part 2 to learn about their 7 years in India, kids' adjustment, and why they eventually returned to the US.