When I first moved to college in a new city, I thought I was ready. I had a Pinterest board full of dorm room ideas, a new bedsheet my mom insisted I carry and by heart full of excitement. But within the first week, homesickness crept it. It wasn’t dramatic or palpable...it was just this constant feeling that something was missing, something was not right, even though nothing technically was. Soon I reasised that I was missed the small things- The way my house smelled in the evenings, how my brother yelled in front of the television set while watching cricket matches. And yes, oh yes! That one cup of chai my mom would make.

 

The best in the world! Suddenly I knew I was alright but I was not in a place here I belonged. College life teaches you about stuff in strange ways. I learned how to survive on half-cooked parathas, how to do laundry without spoiling the clothes and how to keep my space neat and clean. I also learnt how to make presentations with a fresh smile even when I couldn’t catch some shuteye the night before. I also learned to cry by problems out, though alone in the bathroom. But while doing all this, the aroma from mom’s kitchen was still haunting me. And then, the big saviour emerged in the form of a chai ki tapri near my hostel.

 

That tea felt like a warm hug after a long day of work and study. Then there were the friends who slowly became family. Adulting isn’t what Instagram makes it look like. It’s messy. Some days, you feel proud for figuring things out. Other days, you feel frustrated for faltering to handle responsibilities. And that’s still okay. I have now settled into my new environment but I still miss home, and I don’t think that feeling will ever go. What I have learnt is that home is not just a place, but a feeling you carry with you. I may not have my life figured out as of now, But am getting there, one chai at a time.