Master's - To be or not to be ?

There I was living my life comfortably, having fun, perhaps on some path to happiness. One fine day, I decide to take a risk, in search for something, something bigger, something better. I have always felt that there's a thin line between being brave and being stupid. Well, the important decision now was whether deciding on Master's was in the sane range or not. I have always been a social person, living in a country full of strangers would be the last thing one would expect me to do. I love my food, and love my people. Letting go of all that love and comfort ... and for what? was the other side of the world going to be all that was promised? But then, something in me urged me to 'Check it out', I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something great ..and here I was on 15th August 2010 ( ironic I know ) taking my first few steps on this unknown land, with a million hopes and dreams, and wondering each second of it, whether this was truly worth it.

Like every debatable topic worth its mettle, this one had its pros and cons. The number of factors involved were mind boggling ... It not just a question of whether or not to pursue it, but a question of when and where. I did have a feeling that something was missing from my toolkit, turns out it was complete knowledge. I did know what to do, but lacked the sense of why it was being done. There could have been a hundred different ways in which a particular problem could be solved. Choosing a particular path should have a very strong reason attached to it. Once the power of imagination was unleashed, and what ensued was sheer beauty. Nothing seemed impossible or 'black-box'y any more. Everything had a reason, a reason that was told to me, a reason that was convincing, and sometimes so beautiful. I know most people would categorize people like me, who can find algorithms beautiful, geeks. But the label isnt what matters. Its the way things have a way of working out. Trying to imagine how exactly the person who came up with it might have thought about it is fascinating. Then there's the rush of doing and seeing things in a way you never did before.

The other side of the globe did in some ways show me the other side of the coin, but at a cost, my sleep. Its been a hectic time trying to live this life. It seems like forever since I last had a decent meal, celebrated a festival in the way it should have or had a proper weekend. I am trying to complete this blog post at a time where I have 3 pending assignment submissions due. It's like work always seems to keep coming, no matter how many things I complete, there's always more. I wish I had more time in the day. Though I must admit there's a sense of satisfaction in utilizing the available time in a productive way. Longterm, I guess I will never know which was the apt decision. I guess that's the funny thing about having to decide, because you never truly know how different your life would be, if you chose differently. But then, being the optimist that I am, I know things are going to be good either way.