One of the hardest things I have had to deal with is finding a sense of belonging in my life. As a daughter and oldest child of immigrant parents, I have to constantly pave the path for myself without really knowing what to do because people in my family have never done it before.

Making decisions always used to be the most difficult task. I was never American enough to act like my friends did, but I also did not feel Indian enough to where I could be like my relatives who live on another continent, thousands of miles away from here.

Growing up, the summers we visited our family were always the best, but it was clear to me how weird it was to feel like half my life was not with me. The summer before my freshman year of high school was when these two sides of me clashed together and I felt lost. My family and I took a trip to Mumbai to visit my grandparents and it was as if the answer I was looking for came from within myself and manifested in front of me. With my grandparents, I took a trip to the family village for the first time. It was emotional, but I realized how blessed my blended, mixed-up life was.

My grandma, in Hindi, told me these words that forever remain in my heart: “Those who came before you made sacrifices to create better lives for their kids and grandkids. How lucky are you to have the opportunities you have today”.

I know my life would not have been possible without them. There are two sides that make me whole and one cannot live without the other. Every day since this visit, I have made it my driving force to continue creating my family legacy- while adding a little American sparkle to the story.