A new beginning

Three words in, the title is already starting to sound like it’s going to be very philosophical. Newly unemployed (albeit temporarily), I have all the free time in the world to ponder and think back about all that’s happened in the last couple years. It’s the year 2021 but 1.5 years later, COVID-19 is still very much a cause for concern.  Many of us have been directly or indirectly been impacted by it, but why focus on the not-so-good things in life when there’s plenty of things to be grateful for.

All my family is safe and healthy (I hope yours is too), and we’re all hopeful that the worst of COVID-19 is behind us. Not just that, there’s been a whole lot of personal developments/achievements/accomplishments whatever you want to call it. Now that I think about it, the big 4 of life’s major milestones have happened in my life in the last year or so –

WE GOT MARRIED! 

Getting married as such is such a stressful process. Don’t get me wrong, the actual day of the wedding is so much fun and exciting but all the planning, coordination, deciding who’s invited and who’s not is the least bit fun. Imagine doing the same planning during COVID-19. It was just a 100 times more stressful, even more so because Tanya and I were in different cities the entire time. I think our guest count went from the high 300s, low 400s to the low 200s and eventually had only 90ish people invited just in an abundance of caution.

My mom even flew all the way from India to be here with us for the wedding!   I am a little sad that none of my family in India could be a part of the celebration but you know what, that’s just another reason to throw another party when things get better. All things considered, we managed to pull it off and we are now OFFICIALLY MARRIED YAY!

WE BUILT A HOUSE!

My wife (fiancé back then) and I signed on our first new build here in Richmond, TX and started building last May. Had no idea how it was going to turn out, no idea whether it was the right decision or not, but my Tanya and I sure did learn plenty of things about each other. We realized she’s a 100% city gal and I am all about the country lifestyle. The whole construction and design process was a very interesting process which although enjoyable, we don’t have to repeat hopefully for another 8-10 years or so. The scariest part probably was the design selections we had to make by looking at tiny samples of countertops, wood, light fixtures etc. and HOPE it would turn out good eventually. This was also the beginning stages of my realization that a happy wife makes a happy life 

The before and after, all within 6 months :)

This is all we had to pick at the design center and imagine how it’d look when the house was all done!

MOVED CITIES!

Tanya and I have known each other for 9 years this March and for as long back as I can think. We’ve been together only 4 of those 9 but it’s always been long distance. To be honest, both of us are surprised but relieved we managed to make it this far while only being able to meet once maybe twice a month during this 4 year period. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs but we’re here now and that’s all that matters right? Well almost. While long distance worked this long, I certainly didn’t want to push my luck, especially since we’re now married haha. As of one week ago, I OFFICIALLY am a resident of Houston, TX.

I guess you can say it was an emotional move for me, considering San Antonio has been my home for the last 8 years. It is also only one of two places(College Station being the other when I attended Texas A&M) I have lived in the US prior to Houston. I did this once 8 years ago when I moved to the US from India but this time around, things are a lot more certain than they were back then. So hopefully, I can get adjusted to the crazy humidity and the crazier traffic, but I will certainly not miss the pollen from San Antonio.

Came to the US from India with two bags, leaving from SA with just a little more ;)

STARTING A NEW JOB!

Valero was my first job in Corporate America and it was such a hard decision quitting from there to move to Houston. There’s so much about the company to love – the people I worked with, the people I worked for, the relationships I made, and much much more. I’ve enjoyed every bit of working for Valero, and while I had to look for opportunities elsewhere, I still think it’s a fantastic company to work for.  

But when it comes time to choose between work and family, I think the answer is pretty simple. I’ve just been very blessed throughout my entire time in the USA and it is true what my mom always said, good things happen to those who put in in the effort. When I decided to move to Houston, I knew I wanted to branch out, take some risks and try working in an industry other than something I was getting comfortable in. I moved away from Oil and Gas and started applying to pretty much any other industry. Two month of job applications and a multitude of interviews later, I am very very excited and happy to be joining Amazon’s AWS team next month.

It’s going to be an adjustment for sure, moving away from SAP and the Oil & Gas industry but I can’t wait to see what new possibilities this new opportunity brings. I hope and I am sure I will enjoy with the incredibly amazing team at AWS but hey, how would I know if I never tried?

Thank you Valero! And Hello AWS!

When I started writing this article, I really didn’t think it was going to be this long of a post, but I guess that means I have that much more to appreciate, and thankful about!

Until next time,