by Naveen Abraham

Created on: October 27, 2009

My mother always told me "Dream, for someday what you dream may come true". I knew that she said this whole heartedly without any pinch of guilt that it was just a saying that was handed down through the generations and it was even told to her by her mother. I believed that every time a parent, a friend, a teacher or a loved one said this, they meant every word of it. The very thought of fulfilling those dreams of being in love, playing in the Alps and having an angel imprinted on the snow with the funny movements of your hands and the primary of all to get a Masters degree from a prestigious University was too appealing, that I had to push all of these aside and move on with my day today activities.

The urge to push aside these words of my mom (which today I consider to be as precious and sweet as when I heard it from my mother) was difficult. Every thunderous sound made by a plane overhead made me feel my presence in it, and telling to myself "one day, maybe one day you will have to take me".

Bangalore, called the IT capital of India was to me my birthplace and the place that I was so proud of. My pride for the city was to such a degree that my friends used to call me a patriotic fool. I felt it to be a pretty cheeky name along with the other name of a Mamas boy. The fact which I realized very early was that there lies nothing in a name or a degree, but it was in how you lead your life and having those names as a banner that you would carry forward for the rest of your life.

Germany was not an obvious destination for me. In fact the thought of going for my higher studies after my engineering only occurred when I was not in a position to get a job within the self assigned date, which I had set as the deadline for getting a job. One month, this was the duration I had set, within which I had to get a job. Thinking back now I realize the ignorance that was involved in having to believe that I would get a job in a month. But I do not regret it as such. During this time I had time to reflect as to what I would do and the dream of one day going overseas for a better education lay in front of me. The next six months was a time which required me to go places in connection with my higher studies. The basic fact for having chosen Germany as the country were I would do my Masters, lay in the huge banner which I once saw lying outside a German consumer fare. It read "Free education", this struck me as insane as to why would someone provide you with education free of cost. Then realizing how advanced was Germany in the technological field especially in the Automotive industry made me certain that Germany was the country that I would do my Masters.

"Congratulations, you are all set", this was what my father told me on the day I left India to Germany. It was my first time staying away from home. Having done all my education until then within a 5 km radius, made me feel scared. I was lonely for the first time, knowing that I will not have my father to help me out with the smallest of stuffs. With a teary eye I left for my dream.

The dream of being on a plane, having an angel imprinted on the snow in the Alps and the most important of all, completing my Masters course with high honors was fulfilled. But so far only a fraction of what I hoped to become I have been able to fulfill. The dream of having my mother and father with me still remains. I have come to realize that as long as you are alive, you will dream and you have all the possibilities of fulfilling those dreams.

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