Living in another country away from your home usually forces one to discard some long-accepted habits and pick up new ones quickly. But Delhi-raised Pragya Gupta, who is now settled in the US, insists that some desi habits will forever remain precious to her. In a post on Instagram recently, she talks about the five desi habits that still define her life, four years after migration.
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‘These habits make my life better here’: The five routines she won’t drop
Gupta, who relocated to the US in August 2021 for a master’s program at Columbia University and is now working as a sales manager in a biotechnology firm. She said people assume America "changes everything about you.” But some habits, she argued, are anchors that make life abroad more balanced. In an Instagram video, she shared the 5 habits.
Her other rules are not wearing shoes in the house, which she claims keeps it much cleaner, and cooking homemade meals often. She believes this keeps her more grounded, healthy, and close to her roots.
Another habit that she says she will never drop is her Indian ‘jugaad’ mindset, a quick, resourceful way of solving problems. According to her, this instinct has acted "like a superpower" in the US, helping her adapt faster and make the most of every day.
She also emphasises the need to save more than to spend, and how easily America's consumer choices can tempt a newcomer. Her Indian instinct for savings prioritisation, she said, protects her from financial stress and lifestyle creep.
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The fifth habit she will never give up is: stay connected to family. Despite the time difference, she has continued regular video calls, the exchange of pictures, and check-ins that keep her emotionally rooted.
Concluding her post, she wrote, “Moving abroad doesn’t erase who you are. Some habits actually make you stronger here. Which habit did YOU refuse to drop?”
