Vaishali Gauba returned to India after spending five years in the United States, an experience she says reshaped her understanding of home, identity, and resilience. The move came after she was unable to secure a work visa despite building a career abroad, according to Business Insider.
The journalist had moved to the US at 17 to pursue studies in journalism and business management. She later landed a job at CBS News. However, after her work authorisation ended and attempts to secure an H-1B visa were unsuccessful, she had to return to India in 2017. Adjusting to life back home proved harder than expected
“I sat on the terrace of my Washington Heights apartment building, soaking in the view of the city skyline one last time, Gauba said, according to Business Insider.
“It was my last night in New York City before I moved back to India. I’d relocated to the US five years earlier, at age 17, to study journalism and business management. I went on to work at CBS News, which was a dream come true. Saying goodbye was incredibly hard, but I also knew more challenges lay ahead.”
Returning home triggered reverse culture shock
When Gauba returned to India, she experienced what psychologists call reverse culture shock — the disorientation many people feel when returning to their home country after living abroad for years.
“At that point, I hadn’t heard the term ‘reverse culture shock’ — a sense of disorientation you feel when returning to your country after a long stay abroad — but I now know this is what I experienced when I got back to India, Gauba added, according to Business Insider.
She said the transition felt particularly difficult during the first few weeks when her routine in India seemed slower and less structured compared with her fast-paced life in New York.
“Busy work mornings in New York were replaced by dull ones in India for the first few weeks while I waited to start my new job. As everyone in my home left for work, I was left questioning my purpose. Meanwhile, I was startled by the many cultural differences, from extreme honking on the roads to how people spoke to service staff.”
Her struggle was also intensified by the circumstances of her return.
“My reverse culture shock was strong because I didn’t return to India on my own terms.”
“After graduating in the US, I received a one-year work permit, but I was hoping to get employer sponsorship for an H1-B visa, which would help me stay and work in the country longer. Though I tried my best to secure one with CBS and other companies, nothing worked out, and I had to leave when my work authorisation expired, arriving in India in August 2017,” Gauba added, according to Business Insider.
“I kept asking myself if I could have done something differently to get a work visa. The rejection kept stabbing at me and took at least six months to recover from.”
Finding independence and rediscovering India
Eventually, Gauba said she began rebuilding her life by focusing on independence and embracing aspects of India she had previously overlooked.
Living with her parents again initially felt restrictive after years of independent living abroad.
“Living on a college campus as a student in America was my introduction to adulthood. I liked being in charge of day-to-day choices, including what my social life looked like, without needing my parents’ permission.”
However, the adjustment also led to family tensions.
“Indian culture is much less individualistic. I was living with my parents again, which is the norm even for adults, and I was certain they’d expect me to share details about my whereabouts on a regular basis.”
After a few months, she decided to move out and live independently in New Delhi, not far from her family’s home in Gurugram. The change helped restore a sense of balance between independence and family ties.
“After three months of struggling with my living situation, I decided to move out of my parents’ home in Gurugram to the nearby city of New Delhi, since it was closer to work.”
Over time, she said she also began to appreciate aspects of India she had once taken for granted.
“In New York City, I could walk anywhere, but in cities like Gurugram and New Delhi, pollution and the lack of sidewalks made that extremely difficult, so I often found myself stuck in frustrating traffic jams.”
“As a woman, I felt safe enough to stay out late in New York as long as I had my wits about me. Meanwhile, New Delhi and Gurugram felt less safe for women, and with my parents checking in on me, I had to be home by a certain time.”
Still, she gradually shifted her perspective.
“Instead, I gradually shifted my perspective to practice gratitude and focus on the positives, such as being a short drive away from family, having access to home-made food, and reconnecting with high school friends.”
Gauba later spent five years working in India before relocating to Canada in 2022 to pursue further studies and join her partner.