Adopt a small town and live there?That’s the unexpected life decision that changed my life topsy turvy .It was the moment of truth and I took a long look inside to see where exactly I wanted to go.But before I go forward,I have to go back.Way back.
In the early 2000s when I joined Calcutta Medical College, I knew what I wanted from life.A Medical teaching job in the WBMES(West Bengal Medical Education Service)after getting my post graduation done.Marriage and baby somewhere in between( if so blessed).But I didn’t really think of marriage ,because I wasn’t sure how that would work out with the career I was planning.
Well God has his own plans and luckily for me,marrying my best friend from college was the turning point in my life.He helped me find my inner compass and my daughter was born, the compass pointed in only one direction.
My daughter needed me .My daughter needed both her parents around .This meant my grand plans needed realignment. I didn’t give up. The Medical teaching job though needed giving up.
I loved teaching.I loved seeing the light of comprehension in bright,young faces when something hit their brain just right.But the juggling with on-call night duties broke the proverbial camel’s back.My husband’s transfer to another town ,was the tipping point when I got off the camel !
In all this we continued living as a family in the small town close to the village my husband grew up in.Its well connected by rail and road.It has my in-laws close by and since it’s a small town ,you don’t have long commutes.Luckily we found a CBSE school we could send our daughter to and we could continue to build our private practice .
Life is slow.But you can earn a living living a quiet life.I am not a mall-hopping person.But I miss the swimming pool in my Kolkata housing complex.But my weekend visits to the village home help me in more ways than one.Its a reset button .It’s a chance for forest bathing and we look forward to this eagerly.
That’s not something we could have done in a bigger city.Plus we started reforestation in a few plot of land we bought with friends during COVID and that’s where we play cricket and badminton on weekends.I didn’t get my swimming pool,but I did get a very green mango orchard to sit dreaming in.I will forever be a Kolkata girl at heart,but Malda gave me a chance to discover myself and that’s my home .For now .Because you never know where life takes you.
I am participating in Blogchatter A2Z 2025 and also the April Ultimate blog challenge and you can find all the April posts here. This is a S post.
Sharing is good Karma!
Discover more from Healthwealthbridge
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
It’s inspiring to see how embracing small-town life can lead to such personal growth and fulfillment. The balance between professional aspirations and family well-being is something many of us strive for. “I didn’t get my swimming pool, but I did get a very green mango orchard to sit dreaming in.” – beautifully captures the trade-offs we make in life and emphasizes finding unexpected joys and contentment in places we might not have initially considered.
It’s the good part about taking the off beat path in life.Thank you
well, while I am sure all your dreams are still to be fulfilled, I love the idea of living in a place where there’s not much traffic, greens, chance to grow a mango orchard and live with the birds and the gentler fauna. Life probably isn’t about perfection, but this does sound so beautiful. Best thing: Your family is around you.
I think that is the best part of knowing what works for me.I need family around me ,to feel happy and calm.
That’s such a beautiful perspective Amrita! I am sure that slow living is more fulfilling than the bustling life of Kolkata JOMO over FOMO any day!
Yes that’s what works for me too.