From Chennai to Chicago - Part 1. How pizza changed my life!

Every one of us has enjoyed a cheesy slice of pizza. That gooey pull of cheese when a slice of pizza is pulled apart is such a heavenly feeling and our eyes, nose and tongue can vouch for that. I loved pizza so much that I could do anything for it at the time. I did something too, for pizza, and that changed my life forever.

Little did I know that a deal with my mother, for pizza, would change my life so much. I was on my way to attend my medical entrance exam and there was a career fair scheduled for the same day at a popular five-star hotel, nearby A place my mother was hell bent on taking me to and one I was equally against going to.

As we were on our way, we noticed the ‘Buy one get one free’ offer at the Pizza Corner restaurant which I had frequented on many occasions during my life. I had even been to the kitchen to make my own pizza as a kid. But that day was different. It changed me.

I completed my exam. In hindsight, it was extremely underwhelming but that is something I have put behind me now. Reluctantly, I accepted to go to the career fair, just for the sake of having pizza after. My mother knew how to get the job done by bribing me. We all have our guilty pleasures and I succumbed to mine. For once, it ended up in something life changing.

I went to the career fair and ended up getting provisionally admitted into a few medical colleges in the Caribbean and Europe. I finalized the one in Saint Lucia, American International Medical University. I did this all, just for pizza.

The pizza itself was a glorious Indianized fast-food version of the popular dish. I had my favorite pizza with tandoor roasted cottage cheese cubes. It was nothing special, but I have always enjoyed my food as a reward for a task completed successfully rather than just paying for it and eating it. The food must taste different this way. The taste of achievement confers to the palate more than food by itself.

Just like that, I had kick-started a cascade of events that have brought me to where I am today. I have been through many unusual things on my way here but nothing that I have come to regret. I started trusting myself and my decisions. When my decisions were suspect of being shaky or wrong, I stood by them to ensure not regretting them in the future. I began to take things in my stride and learn from my experiences.

Despite all the hurdles that were in my way, today I am a medical doctor. By studying in the Caribbean, I have also visited many countries and that has made me open to the possibilities of life.

It is the decisions that we make that define us. Standing by our decisions during tough times will pay off in the future. Also, due credit goes to my parents for telling me to stand by myself, no matter what and for standing by me through thick and thin.

I have savored beautiful and vivid experiences through the way, and I hope to share them all with you. As you know these will not be the only things I blog about. There is a lot more in store. But in the meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed part 1 of the ‘From Chennai to Chicago’ series. Please look out for more. Thank you for your support and I hope you will keep showering me with your love.