Enter the land of FREEDOM (#10)

Pic Credits: https://pixabay.com/users/thedigitalartist-202249/

"If it is not India, it has to be America". This had been my thought for a long time. 

 

Maybe it was due to Ayn Rand's influence on me; or

Perhaps this was because most people I admire in Science, Tech or Philosophy were either from America or eventually moved there.

Whatever the case, I had always felt a special connection to America.

America:

There hasn't been a single experience so far that didn't live up to my expectations of America. In the systems I had dealt with, I never encountered the slightest hint of bias or corruption (at the individual level, at least). Sound systems are in place, and no one is above the system.

Individual freedom is the bedrock on which America is built, and from whatever I have seen so far, every system- from the basic traffic control system to the highest political system adheres to this foundation. 

• People don't bother me when I am at home.
• They don't disturb me (by honking) when I am out on the road. 
• No force. 
• No unsolicited advice. 
• No fake pleasantries. 
• No fake respect.
• They mind their own business; I mind my own.
• Less pollution and Less noise. 
• More space and More freedom. 

(I feel the Gun culture is the only bothering part of America. I don't know when this problem will be solved.)

Speed in College:

Coming to the US for my Masters is one of the best decisions I've made in my life. (My Master's is in Business Analytics and Information Systems). I could have gotten here sooner and saved some time. 

Nevertheless, I don't regret it. At least I came now; it's never too late. 

I love the college. I enjoy the freedom to choose not only my subjects but even the Professors. 

I like the college atmosphere, buildings and trees. I liked the way how buildings and trees blend and coexist. 

Campus

My favourite places on campus are Castor beach and the library(that is open 24X7). 

Castor Beach

 

As of this writing, I finished my first semester and am on winter break. If you had read my previous posts, you would have understood that I had zero programming experience before coming here. Nevertheless, I had a decent GPA (3.8 out of 4) in college. I know that grades are not everything, but I want to mention this to someone reading this who is genuinely curious but afraid to make a career decision. To that RARE individual, I wanted to say this: "Passion is over-rated, and Curiosity is under-rated in our society. Don't take society too seriously. Don't be afraid if you have a GENUINE CURIOSITY."

Brakes in Winter:

Honestly, I didn't know the time or duration of the winter break when I started my semester. However, the moment I learned about it (much later in the course), I wanted to utilize it to the fullest. 

So, during the break, I tried to optimize every single day.

 

At one point during this break, every day, I was doing the following:

• Collaborating with my Professor on a Research Project;
• Doing an Online Course on a new topic;
• Working out to build my body;
• Building my personal blog;
• Looking for Summer internship opportunities;
• Cooking my meals (sometimes)

And I still had things running in my mind that I wanted to complete before the break:

• Revise the first semester topics that I was not completely satisfied with.
• Read some books
• Do an individual project
• Prepare for interviews
• Apply for more internships
• etc
• etc.

Since my entire week was like this, I used to go to a pub/bar downtown every weekend to drink, dance and relax.

 

I followed this routine for almost 4 weeks. Though most days were productive, I realised somewhere in between that I was always on a chase. I felt something is missing.

Then came Buddha into my life again.

BUDDHA in America:

It was a typical Saturday morning. I went to a pub the night before. (I already wrote a couple of blog posts by that time).

After waking up, I felt uneasy and was not interested in doing anything. I don't know why but I browsed for meditation centres nearby. I found one near me, and fortunately, there was an event (open to newcomers) in an hour or so. I immediately got ready, took a bus and went there.

After doing meditation for a while, I felt relaxed. The racing thoughts slowed down a bit. It was a relief. Furthermore, I liked the community and therefore decided to be a part of it. I made a couple of friends too. Somehow, I always find one or two guys at these centres(Vipassana or this) genuine and warm. I went to the centre on a couple of occasions after this.

(A few days later)

One day morning, I started the day with writing.

Then, a MIRACLE happened...