"Culture, Safety, Tech...": Indian Woman Explains Why She Chose US Over Bengaluru

A Bengaluru woman, who was confused about whether she should stay back in her hometown or move to the United States, has finally decided that America will be her "new home". In a long X post, the woman, who goes by Viba Mohan on the micro-blogging site, explained why her move out of Bengaluru to the US is the best decision for her personal and professional growth. She listed four reasons why she decided to make US her home for the next few years.

Citing culture as her number one reason, Ms Mohan said she appreciates the "wild, relentless optimism" in the US. "There are 2 things about culture here that I love. First - the wild, relentless optimism. Everyone's stoked about the possibilities, and if you fail, you just try again! The second is craftsmanship. It's all about perfecting your craft, and that vibe is contagious," she wrote.

The second reason is safety, both in the professional space and on the streets. "It's a breath of fresh air to work without  tiptoeing around a colleague who's obsessed with you and has zero boundaries. And the freedom to go for a walk or a run without always looking over my shoulder? Turns out, living somewhere safer doesn't just make you feel calmer - it makes you more productive too," Ms Mohan said. 

Take a look below: 

In her third reason, she said, "The visa game is a nightmare. I knew I wasn't about to tie myself to a H1B or drop a fortune on a master's degree to move here. Getting the O1 and the freedom that comes with it made this so much easier". 

Lastly, she also compared the start-up ecosystem of Bengaluru and San Francisco. "Bangalore's got some brilliant minds, no doubt! But the tech scene? It's often about Fintech, Last Mile, E-commerce-you know, the usual suspects. It's changing, which is awesome, but the problems I'm most interested in? They're still being solved in SF," Ms Mohan wrote. 

"Bangalore will always be where my heart is. I've made the best friends and learned the most there. But for what I want to do, America's the place to be right now," she concluded. 

Also Read | US Boy Created Soap That Could Help Treat Skin Cancer, Named TIME's 2024 Kid Of The Year

Ms Mohan shared the post just a few days back. Since then, it has accumulated more than 137,000 views. In the comments section, while some users agreed with her decision, others listed pros and cons. 

"I agree with most points, will add infrastructure and civic sense here too," wrote one user. "I stayed like 10+ years in US and returned to India to start my own company. Both has pros&cons. So stay where u r happy. In India, my biggest thing is I got to stay and support my mom.. Besides I now make much more than what I earned in US, but tech side US was great," said another. 

"Wise decision! Freedom > Money > Quality of Life including infra, climate, sun, water, nature > Friends and Family > Health Infra," commented a third.