An Indian woman based in Dublin has resonated with many online after opening up about the emotional side of living abroad, highlighting how distance from family can weigh heavily despite financial stability. Her video, shared on Instagram, shifts the conversation beyond rent and expenses to the personal sacrifices that come with building a life overseas.
In the clip, Prachi Dusad spoke about missing a major family celebration back home in India, describing how watching moments on her family WhatsApp group made the distance feel more real.
Missing moments, not money
Prachi explained that while discussions around life abroad often revolve around finances, the emotional cost is rarely acknowledged. Reflecting on her situation, she said, “A lot of people ask me what is the cost of living abroad, and it’s not just the rent, the utility bills, or the groceries. I’ll tell you what, I am living in Ireland for three years now and right now it’s my cousin’s wedding in India and all of my family, my big fat Marwadi family, they’re all together. They are dancing, singing, enjoying, celebrating every moment and a lot of pictures and videos are coming on my family WhatsApp group.”
She added that repeatedly going through those photos and videos intensified her sense of “FOMO (fear of missing out)”. “I am literally looking at every photo, every video multiple times and this kind of FOMO has not hit me in a very long time and I just want to go back. I just want to be with them, all of them there in that moment,” she said.
‘It’s not just the money’
Clarifying that finances were not the barrier, Prachi pointed to the responsibilities and commitments tied to her life abroad. “And it’s not just the money, I can definitely afford my flight tickets, but it’s the commitment, the life here, because of which I cannot go right now. And this, this exactly, is the cost of living here, living abroad,” she said.
The post, which was accompanied by a reflective caption about balancing growth and homesickness, drew reactions from users who related to the experience. Many shared similar feelings about missing family milestones while living away from home.
One user wrote, Very true! Also seeing our parents grow old on video calls only.”
Another wrote, “100% true, I can understand.”
Third said, “This is the hardest part of moving abroad—being physically absent for moments that matter the most.”
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