“My family bought a house in Edmonton so we can live together there.”
(Illustration: Adrian Hogan)
Living in Canada was my brother Kash's dream, not mine. We grew up in Delhi, India, and when Kash was in high school, he heard stories of people immigrating to Canada for college. He dreamed of going out alone. He did all the research himself, studied for the English proficiency test, and decided which schools to apply to (he studied business administration at George Brown University in Toronto).
I was 16 when Kash left for Canada. We lost touch for a few years while he built a life in Toronto. I was also busy. I completed a degree in Communication and Journalism from a university in Delhi and a postgraduate degree in Mumbai, where I got a job. I stayed in Mumbai for four and a half years, away from my family. It was unusual for someone my age to leave home before marriage, but my family supported me.
By 2018, Kash was living in Edmonton. My parents visited him and realized how much they missed their son. They began considering moving to Canada. They thought it was time for our family to be reunited and wanted me to join them. However, I had no interest in emigration. I had just started my dream job at his international PR agency in Mumbai. It was fun to be independent. I once heard stories of college friends who immigrated to Canada and had trouble finding jobs in their fields. I didn't want to do it again.
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Then the new coronavirus arrived. As the world shut down, I moved back to Delhi to live with my parents. It felt so good to come home and see the happiness on their faces every day. Multi-generational living is the norm in India. It's like having a built-in support system. COVID-19 has made me realize that nothing comes before my family. At the end of 2020, I told my parents that I was ready to move to Canada.
Thanks to my work experience, I was able to obtain permanent resident status in Canada by March 2022. It took even more time because my parents needed my brother to sponsor me. I booked my flight for May of that year, and my parents were scheduled to join us a month later on extended tourist visas. When it was finally time to move, our family bought a house with enough space for everyone to live together.
My plane landed in Calgary and Kash drove from Edmonton to pick me up. We hadn't seen each other for over 10 years. “Oh my god,” he said. “You've grown so much!'' He drove me to Banff to see the beautiful mountains. In Edmonton, I noticed that the roads were very clean and orderly. No one honked their horns, which surprised me since honking is a part of everyday life in India. It was so peaceful and quiet. Kash stocked the house with everything we needed including furniture, kitchen utensils, accessories, and snacks. Kash, who owns multiple businesses, managed our finances with contributions from me and his parents.
When my mom and dad joined us in June, we had to go through an adjustment phase. Our habits clashed at first. Kash and I would play loud music and drive late at night, wondering when my mom would come home. Gradually, we figured things out and got used to the routine. Kash spent most of the day at the office, touching my parents' feet for blessings before going to work every day. For the first few months, I stayed home and desperately applied for jobs. I didn't realize how difficult that would be. I couldn't find a job in my field, so I applied for every entry-level job I could find and ended up getting a job in bookkeeping. And in the summer of 2023, I landed my dream job as his account manager at Edelman Canada. I was supposed to be based in their Toronto office, but after hearing how I was reunited with my family, the company allowed me to join their team in Calgary and work from home.
It took me some time to get used to my new life in Canada, but now I can't imagine living away from my family. I'm very happy to meet you again. In my free time, I like to make popcorn, watch Bollywood movies, and play Indian board games. In October, my parents and I traveled to England. Towards the end of the trip, I FaceTimed Kash and told her how much I missed Canada and couldn't wait to get home. There were tears in his eyes. “I'm so glad you consider Canada your home,” he said.
