Retirement Plans in India After 20+ Years in US: A Family's Global Citizen Journey

3:42 Doing very well there in New Jersey and Atria got a chance to join General Motors during his campus interview in Michigan yeah so he moved here we dropped him moved here within matter of I think probably an year or two he he bought a house here in Michigan yeah and obviously for house Waring he invited us here we fell in love with prior to that I think he met shria yeah so yeah so yeah tell that story on that we were talking about his language skills about arria struggling hard with Hindi being his third language can you imagine he joined General Motors and enrolled into Masters program simultaneously at Anar here in Michigan and there are Ways and Means or are actually there is a reason you go to school right you get certificate but in this case he got his degree in the form of finding a

4:43 Beautiful girl called asria while he was in Masters whereas she was finishing her undergrad in the in anab yeah and again the Bumble the strike right kind of thing happened that is another story which when he needs to talk he will talk I'll not take his listen but he bumped into this fantastic kid called asria they are originally from Delhi Delhi Bihar but she was born bred raised here in Michigan her entire family the last three decades they're here in Michigan and can you imagine he met a beautiful Hindi speaking girl and today today he can manage I won't call him as proficient in Hindi but he can manage when it comes to Hindi songs thanks to her it is Kish Kumar Muhammad Rafi songs he can beautifully hum very well with all the perfect pronunciation and also

5:44 Understand what shria talks when it shame she talks to her parents so she can't keep music has been very yeah music is something which has been I think an integral part of our overall family I think that's something which is which has been there learned kartic music for quite some time and we as nag says you know we always hum music you know be it any T Tamil song You Know Ka Canada song or Hindi or anything and the children kind of even though they are not like totally hardcore they not grown up there but they can kind of you know say oh okay mommy you know this something which will har with you you know they have kept the culture on both cultures both us and India very very well that is nice and I would say music is like a great great thing which is actually brought in everything together so just not to digress but just wanted but again to come back to what

6:38 Happened with our New Jersey to Michigan story he bought a house we came here for house warming fell in love with this beautiful place and by then we started talking to shriya's family that is her parents who lived in a beautiful subdivision and they invited us to stay with them while while arria's house warming was being prepared and such and we loved the subdivision and thanks to shria Dad who pushed us to see few homes here which was for sale there were some open houses we say we did see made an offer and also one more thing I want to add because his his what also happened was 2020 this was this happened in 2020 during just Co right so I think one there are a lot of pluses and minuses what happened during covid one plus was like you could work remotely yeah right and I think it was a

7:40 Big plus for the it sector right I was I was already working from home because was in California whereas so I was basically working because and one one another big thing was for me it was like it was my dream that you know I work in New York so which was like very important for me because I wanted and I was Al worked in Bombay like this is initially going back you know just so it was for me it was always like you know what it means to work in a busy place you know like you know in the morning so these are some things which you Aspire you know maybe small things but I used to come back and you know we used to have this conversation and I think that's one thing probably which is gone to my you know Propel my younger son to actually do his degree there in New York but that's something which was like you know that city is brings in a lot of I mean it's like you know anyone can kind of make it you know be be big small people are very open you you kind of see the small joints you kind of enjoy the aroma of coffee or ugly morning

8:41 Thing people are doing their work and everything and you go through the bridges and everything so I I always used to want to work there which is really great so did that for like you know seven years after coming back so I was like okay now I think it's time like I was like okay what do what do we do next right so I think it was like 2020 it all became you know working it was it was really a painful time at that point in time but some PES also happened at the same time so that was the time when Atria bought the house here we came down here we looked at and he had just started his relationship with shria we met their parents and we were like okay for him also it was like he can actually do business here and we were all like okay we can all work remotely why not we move to Michigan move to Michigan you know but the only thing was Arian because he was now in his 11th

9:43 Right 10th 10th 10th and that was he was in a great School District a very competitive School District in New Jersey and he was all like you know he was doing very well he had a great set of friends he was like okay another change in life and you will not believe we drove it was a 8 and a half hour Journey for us we always love to drive two cars but but while going back Atria was here and we made a decision we said okay let's put the foundation what's going to happen if we move to Michigan so Daddy are you okay mommy you can work remotely okay let us see how this is going to work Atria you are going to be here Arian for you it's going to be the school right School play because you know 9th 10th 11th 12th is very important for them to go into the next St so here is we then we said we told Arian see it's actually good because you have a great set of friends you understand how things are there but you will build a new set of friends here

10:45 You know look at the additions right and then you are going to move into a different place so but then we said okay we'll leave it to you you know we don't want to force you but at the end of it it's very important so that's that's how the whole journey started yeah I'm just curious I know it's even a

11:01 Transition from like New Jersey to Detroit or some Michigan I know it's it plays a big role as you said like you know with the high school kid yeah for someone to move with such a good friends and school you know college so I know I think it's a big transition so just curious like so what decision and I'm I'm guessing he was okay to move that's what I think you know eventually happened but how did he I know even within the state but I'm just curious because it's a it's a it's a different period in the high school right I mean when they are friends and by then he seen her as as parents who take these calls adventurous calls I must say in his own way he was probably mentally prepared but yes there was slight hesitation resistance but he said one biggest bonus for him is he could stay closer to Anna that is his brother very good Mentor we as parents is one but even to today he has played a

12:01 Fantastic Mentor role as an elder brother who's 9 years apart Atri and Aran get along very well earlier it was or phone or video call but here the bonus the carrot is always like how when we went to India parents and uncles aunts or cousins were the carrots to dangle here it is his own wonderful sibling and soon to be sister-in-law they're all right here and and with the limitation that he did say that like okay I'll miss my friends and I miss my beautiful school but yes I've already tried this going to Bangalore coming back to New Jersey and U yes let us give it a shot he was again like his mom he to Bent backwards made it happen and then he agreed to yeah all our decisions and I think yeah see and also to 2020 if you actually remember all the schools were online yes right yes so so one I think part of it worked for him

13:03 Like the the first six months he did all the classes online so he was able to kind of you know understand you know how it was but yes he missed the you know the the theaction and everything but after that you know the next year they he started going to school either ways

13:20 Even in New Jersey by then as ran mentioned had hit and then the lockdown had happened he had stopped going to school but it was all on remote online school some extent got used to stay at home with us attend schools Etc so transitioning to Michigan in its own way it was what I call a blessing in this guys though it would have it would have been nice if it was for a good reason then Co but there are certain pluses with I think a big plus was for him yes he could kind of come back here relate to a different demographics you know because Michigan is an auto town right but there is a lot of different kind of History car so a different kind of History to this place right and then the teachers you know they bring in different kind of it's it's always about different things what you look around right if you look at New Jersey New York

14:21 Yes it's very it's it's Finance driven and everything whereas here you have this geopolitical and always from a long time I think Arian was very interested he loved history right he loves and I kind of know and and over a period of time for me I keep telling you know if I have to do I will go back and do probably something in economics because that's something just fascinates me today to look at all these things right economics is such a fantastic so we keep talking about this so for Aran I think that was probably a big plus he came here he started talking to a lot of people a lot of different clubs lot of different ways in how and he improved he loves to write he loves to write so and his other skills really improved and I think that was a big plus and guess what he did he he's has a great set of friends here and he introduced those friends to the New Jersey friends and he makes it a point to make sure that you know he gets everyone together and then

15:23 Get that thing through I think see that is something which is a great thing so in hindsight he says oh I think it was great thing that we moved here because I could look at different facets different perspectives different things and yet keep that thing on and he makes he he spends a lot of time to have his connects so you know that's another very good thing right you have to put in from your side a good amount of time to have that connects and I think he did that and before we forget ainash is

15:54 Another very imperative important question is there a plan to go go back to India let you can talk about that so there is so is there something more you want to share yeah I just want to share so basically I think that was thing and then he I think somewhere the New York thing was in him I want to just complete that yeah so he kind of you know wrote he did a lot of things and now he's actually studying in NYU he's studying in New York University back to New York back newor in Stern business school he's in Stern business school he wants to do something on he's going to be majoring in business and political economy which is his favorite thing and then trying to work on that but he's enjoying I mean I I personally wanted him to look around those things because there's a lot to that city which teaches you a lot in life absolutely so great place Michigan and great he had a great time for five years being with Anna and you know my Atria got married 2022 and we have a great family here our

16:56 S also stay very close by so from their side a great perspective and all and now he is back to there now he is studying

17:05 Yeah now you can take over on that front yes again at another culprit being the moving experiences probably I should write a book on moving experiences for good as in moving as in moving from one location to the other with good moving experiences psychologically and emotionally so again I started talking about very soon we would retire I don't know when but it is around the corner having done a fantastic I am already talking I say couple of years we'll move back rather two years down the lane 3 years on the day into India but she is insisting that this time I'll probably abide by her request she says make it four years four to five years yeah four years it is so there is a major plan happening that in 2028 we would return back to we would want to come back the way we want to put it is till now the

18:05 The primary focus that the primary thing was in the US right while our secondary home and everything was India so maybe for to 5 years down the line we want to make that the primary and still we have to have our con us kids are here right but at the same time as as one grows in age maybe they would as nag started in the beginning he said you would you would relate to a lot of things where you grew up right you would want to come back to that place you would want to understand and it's a great place you know back in India and back especially to go back to a place where you grew up where you know things where you can actually go back and give something else to the society there so I think that is

18:50 The calling I would say that is the calling and again it's around the corner but as rangan rightly said being Global Citizens yeah we call India as our base going forward and keep coming back and forth to us as long as we have the strength and the where with all to and have all the health health help health and finances to back us up by God's grace that is the plan and hopefully we'll be successful and having said that we have been doing a lot of international travels too that will continue to happen yeah oh yeah we yeah that and that's very important right I keep telling n so after 5 years down the line you know maybe you should be in a position just to say two months let me go to a place and we love to do the airbnbs right so just stay in Airbnb just work as a local light be a local light there understand how they work what they do that that's the kind of vacation which we want to basically you

19:50 Know try doing it right any place and today also India has a lot of things to offer beautiful places we can do that and I started venturing a lot of travel within India too because there so much to see one of the most colorful vibrant beautiful places so we have been doing it yeah I think as you mentioned

20:09 Early on in the show right about the journey journey and you know not the destination and just being you know it's the perspectives it's how they solve in that it just gives a different experience from the travel I mean I think it's so much to underline that I mean it's not just go and visit it just be the local to understand it if possible which just expands your thought process and you know the perspectives quite a bit Yeah so just curious like why retire or why settle like after retirement why make India as your main main primary and then you know America as a country just curious any particular reasons is just love of mother country or is just you know any any any specific reasons because you've been there you saw seen something and you've been back you enjoyed the life in both ways so still like you know he starting again so why you know why to start from scratch again yeah lovely lovely ainash to be very Frank yes you have covered already in your

21:10 Question almost everything what we wanted to share one is yes being adventurous and call it that every sevene itch here it is a beautiful itch which we would enjoy to experience it as we already mentioned motherland being motherland we love the place and we are still fortunate that like my mother is pretty healthy she's there and her dad is still he and healthy at 91 is's by God's grace doing very well and His blessings and my mother is 86 doing by God's grace fantastic and my siblings are still there rangan sibling though is in North Carolina he and my co-sister who knows they would follow with us they will also come so we will continue to probably rebuild that's exactly why we' mentioned and also not to forget our friends whom we brought everyone the US they're all coming back they also will they also will go come back and there is

22:11 Another extra carot being dangled is a somei also is looking to come to Bangalore which is not even their home now so there is so much to it and to answer why love for motherland oh without stressing mentioning yes we indeed actually say that like we love our motherland keeping our karmi also we take it as a fantastic place to be but retire are we going to retire fully we don't know it we'll prolong as long as we could one because my company is still on and she would she she enjoys working she's a fantastic career woman otherwise he'll be in trouble you know no no and other thing is even today she works like as if she's a beginner or a fresher starts her morning at 6:00 goes on till 6:30 7:00 I sometimes get upset and then I switch on Netflix saying that a good movie is happening if you don't join me so that's when she calls it today after finishing her word wraps up at 7 7:30 in the evening and

23:12 Then joins me but again having said that

23:15 We want to go back enjoy Bangalore for many reasons one because motherland parents being around family being there and food is something which we love Indian food and Bangalore food especially plus weather unbeatable even today I would say best place in terms of wether irrespective of whether it a summer winter or spring Bangalore continues to be fabulous though it has taken a beating compared to what it was in 6 80s or 90s it still is decent enough having traveled to quite a few countries Bangalore still is holding that way we love that so going back we are scaring down for sure in terms of size of living or other doing but having said that we want to travel more in India too there's so much to see we will continue to do that and the friends what rangan was mentioning and the Sami if they all were to be coming to India man

24:17 We'll have another Gala time in our don't know if I should be calling it as a last Innings or I don't know you know you never know you never know that old that we want to call ourselves a sing still in by heart the gray should not hurt but we want to but I want to add like two or three more reasons right to what nages basically added I think one thing is India is also changing I today it has a very different vibe if you actually look at it when we came in 1990s to when we moved in 2007 to what has happened today in 2024 and as we we are all today I think Global Citizens right and if we are there today and our children are here we would probably be in a good position to talk to them about different things right you know and that's very important as a family I think it's very important for us to also keep that you know the conduit the the thing between

25:19 Here and because at the end of it I think U you have to have some kind of a culture bonding you know at the end of it that is the one which kind of you know holds you together and there's a lot today you know because to be very honest when we grew up we did a lot of things just for okay okay we'll do this we'll do this but today I think you look at the inner meaning of the purpose is different right so I think it's important for us to realize that too right I think probably can't you do that sitting in the US you can certainly do that you know it's not like you cannot do that moving back yes as I said there are all those pluses and also looking at we feel that from a health perspective right health health perspective there are a lot of other things like you have ayura you have Homeopathy a lot of organically grown things around there very valid right I think that is one of the things being here today you will not today us also is having a lot of different thing other

26:19 Than allopathy and everything but there I think those are some things which are Time and Time tested right so you have a lot of different options and the other thing other biggest thing is I am looking forward because we have going to as you said we're going to scale down we want to move into an apartment one very important thing is we always need to be surrounded with people y you know I mean that is I think no matter what right you need to have a good set of people a nice routine and especially seeing our own parents today aging right and tou you know they have found their perfect things to do right they spend few few you know two hours in this and my dad still does Consulting you know he has people who walk in home that's because he's built that for the last 40 50 years right it will just not come like this right it just doesn't come like you go there and then you you do something so I think that itself takes a time so if we

27:19 Are going to be there we want to just build something we want to do something I think this is the right time for us to do and we still have the energy right it's not like you know it's done so maybe 7 years down the line I don't know but you know we want to remain people who have to be flexible and agile today in this agile thing that's a very valid

27:40 Point as R said while we still have the what you call the energy the wherewithal to run around we want to enjoy India still so not just probably career would to some extent Take a Back Back Seat but it won't completely come to a grinding Hall never yes it won't and it should not it should not and I always advise at least the younger generation now being almost a baby boomer don't say I'm done with a career or doing something one has to be occupied so that we remain in both by age by energy by the thought yeah that we continue doing yeah and and I think yeah I just want to add one more thing right so with with with all these moves happening back and forth and back and forth I think one if I if I would say one thing which is very important is career is one thing but I think having your own things like your own Talent you know that always should be there with you right because at some point in time

28:42 That is a passive piece right which will actually help you in your older age in your retirement because it could be like music it could be art it could be something this is something which you have to all always keep at the back of your mind even when you are in your Prime in your 20s in your 30s or something like that because you cannot pick up your talent or your thing which you have left like you know 15 years ago 30 years ago and all of a sudden say oh I'm going to do this it'll never happen until you just keep it somewhere maybe it's in the background and then you know just work on that I think that's something which is the I mean when we came to us you know we saw that you know a lot of people it's it's career is one piece but they do a lot of other things around oh there's so much to learn there's so much to do like you know for instance you go to Home Depot I mean you will actually see people coming there they may be doing something like a finance something but they actually are working doing woodworking projects okay because it keeps them very agile in a

29:44 Different way because their passion is that right so building even the passive income even objectively building a passive income and doing your main thing I think that is something which we really learned no as a matter of fact

29:57 Where you picked that very very well because friends in India we always had this what you call tendency where in certain work we can't do we offload it to somebody else whereas certain basic handyman kind of work certain upkeep of your own home we can always learn that doesn't mean we should take away the job from a real needy there we should keep keep that going but also the demographics in India is changing slowly wherein people are moving from the base level job to the higher and there is nothing wrong in taking up certain carpentry or certain other work it could be even gardening Etc by ensuring that the real needy is given the job we also should be equally occupied and then do which in America we have learned I'm sure you lived long enough here rash in the US and you know how much it matters to do your own work yes it does they're doing laundry to the

30:57 Vacuum cleaning to what you call cooking so what a beautiful story like I

31:03 Just have one question again you mentioned about lot of your friends you know the good friends that you made in India they also moved back so they are also part of this journey so if you can generalize is there a theme or is there something you know I know everybody's story is unique everybody circumstances are unique I'm just curious because this is also very valuable information from you I I mean if there's a general Trend or a generalized thing that you can comment on that you know because of they lived in us for some time I mean at least a decade or more they also went back to India spent you know quite some time there and they for some reason decided to move back which is the most common reason like you know why did they move or like what made them move again I know I just was looking for a generalized I mean if there is anything that you can share there as a general Trend and you also me they might be moving back which is okay I think you know but that I'm curious on that if you can comment on that sure again not to sound stereotypical but most of us in

32:06 General Our Lives revolve around family friends Etc so at least going by what we hear from our fellow friends and some family members story is more or less the same they all move to India one is to continue building their career and be close to their family parents and their respective relatives or the a closely nit family similar during the time where kids are ready to get into say undergrad or a master's program most of us returned back again not to undermine India India has great schools in engineerings and or other non-engineering schools art and such but still sometimes being exposed which is what both rangan and I always tell even within our Next Generation kids please study outside not necessarily only in India study in India too but keep that exposure on so that when you learn a lot you become more practical in life you

33:06 Learn something different than what you really learn in India because certain schooling or rather the approach to teaching itself here is much different compared to what India is both have great pluses there nothing that we should look down upon Etc so these friends as you wanted to know they also more or less when we hear them out the similar story that when their kids were ready to come down during undergrad or some of them actually felt better opportunities during their ha days when they are in 30s and 40s they returned back now it is more or less the same time their parents are still healthy enough and it's a time to go spend time with them when it matters as far as they are concerned plus of course now kids are ready to have their own journey and have another story to tell and they can continue living in US Europe or Global or if they prefer to also join with us

34:06 To India so so be it we'll be happy but no here independently sorry I have so independently friends also have the same thought keeping that love for their Homeland mother land they also want to come to Bangalore or Hyderabad or to Mumbai Delhi or other places and still keep the touch with us because their kids are obviously settled here so similar story at least going by what we hear the pattern seems more or less the same but again end of the day most of us have realized that like we should not stagnate in one place and then miss out on others yeah you wanted to say something no no I just wanted to say that you know especially our what is our generation you know I keep telling nages it's a sandwich generation right because we were the we were we are all economic Nomads you know very truly we are economic Nomads and we came into

35:08 The this country in you know to get good jobs to basically have a better you know life in terms of you don't have to like really earn a lot but you can have a good life you know you don't need to be like a billionaire multi-millionaire but still you can have have a good life in terms of a nice home bringing up your kids in a nice environment and everything so those were the aspirations and then now we want to actually continue the same thing but probably it's like you know we want to now it's not like through this journey we've always been with our parents right but you know our parents that's what I keep telling it was so nice that our parents never put an embargo saying that hey you cannot go you know if they had told us n you be here with us you you know we probably wouldn't have had so much you know things so in a similar way we don't want to you know tell the same thing to our kids right we will be there when you really need our help or whatever it is

36:09 But at the same time I think now it's like okay they'll also probably look forward to okay if you're are here it's going to be nice you know we can actually it's not going to be a phone call it's not going to be a WhatsApp it's probably you're going to be there you're going to have lot of this thing so I think that is something which is also telling us like okay nice time you go back I think that that generally happens I think that at least what we have heard in our own Circle yeah like okay let's scale down here let's scale down there but you know let's make this very important and health is on our side let's go back spend some time there because kids now they have a foundation you know that's very important because you have kids you have to make sure that you give your 150% to them and once you feel that okay it's done then it is left to them you know they will do their things they will come up and Ang said they'll have a story of their own they have to build stories of their own right and they have to look at it so yeah just just wanted to kind of add add that please as as story is concerned now

37:11 They'll make the call whether to keep switching every seven years or say 70 full years in one place yeah it could be that oh my God I'm done I've done seven years traveling from my parents I will decide to be here could be that you know nothing wrong in that you know no yeah thank you so much what a

37:32 Beautiful story you both were amazing in narrating the entire like the you know the chapters of the journey right and with such a details like you know some of these things are not so appreciative until you give those specific details and and just so much thankful and you know for the way you narrate the story for your awesome Journey you know exploring and how you rais the the kids and how you had the strong foundation and how you see the life in the future I mean as the journey continues so with that thank you so much for your time for narrating the story I'm I'm so sure this would be so valuable to a lot of people and I'm glad to have you on the show ainash first of all thanks to you you created a beautiful platform for people really this is going to help quite a lot not necessarily our story is alone I'm sure you have your own story I'm sure there are a few others who have narrated a similar or probably a different stories but thanks to you that

38:34 You invited you reached out to us I think what the last one year since we have been in touch you connected and then gave us an opportunity to share our stories I hope we did not bore or drag it too long and again we can go on and on so but thank you really appreciate it good luck to your Channel Channel Good Luck to your podcast and we enjoyed sharing our stories with you and then thank you so much again yeah thank you thank you a yeah I just want to take few minutes yeah it's been amazing you know talking to you and wonderful and as nag said you know yeah we have lots to kind of you know exchange we can even go to a lot of details we have got fantastic things but maybe keep it for another day when we meet you in person right yeah but it's thank you so much for giving us a platform to B air out our thoughts yeah yeah good Lu yeah definitely this is going to be so much valuable for a lot of people and once again thank you so

39:34 Much and have a great day thank you so much a again before we conclude if you happen to be in Michigan or if you visit us please come visit us before we come back to bangal please please yes thank Youk thank you all for joining us on this inside ful journey of Dy return if you enjoyed this episode and want to explore more stories and expert advice make sure to subscribe and hit the notification Bell don't forget to leave a comment below with your thoughts and experiences by the way check out the links in the description below for our Facebook group and social media for updates and engaging discussions as well as connecting with fellow the wrers thank you once again and until next time may your D journey be filled with joy growth and endless POS possibilities