American woman shares things she does differently after moving to India
ETimes | March 25, 2026 3:39 PM CST
In her posts, she contemplates the ways in which India has transformed her daily routines. Some of these changes may be quite practical in nature. She now takes bucket baths, a change from the showering that was quite common for her. The unfamiliar has now become second nature to her, and the process has become quite efficient for her. The use of a jet spray, which many Indians consider quite normal, has now become a part of her daily life.
Through her musings on Instagram, we get a glimpse of what it means to create a life in a country vastly different from the one in which she grew up. It has not been a journey of extremes. It has not been a journey of assimilation or non-assimilation. It has simply been a journey of learning, adapting, and choosing what to hold onto and what to let go of.
When she first arrived in India, the differences were immediate and not possible to ignore. The people, the movement of the traffic, and the overwhelming amount of sensory overload in daily life were vastly different from the systematized, somewhat predictable environment she was used to in the United States. For her, daily routines tend to follow a somewhat predictable system, with systematized traffic, quiet public spaces, and a personal space that is not frequently intruded upon. In India, life seems to have a different rhythm, with streets alive with sounds and activity.
Some of the biggest changes in her life have occurred through daily routines, small changes that gradually became a part of her daily life. She takes a bucket bath, a change that at first felt like a compromise but has since become a part of her daily life, a somewhat mindful way to begin or end the day. The jet spray, at first unfamiliar, has since become indispensable, an everyday convenience that she can’t imagine living without.
Food, too, has been an important aspect of her change. Vegetarian cuisine, in India, is not just an option but a lifestyle. This aspect was much more pronounced compared to what she experienced in the US. Vegetarian cuisine in India was incredibly diverse. Kristen has adjusted to this change wonderfully. Among her favorite dishes is chole bhature, which she associates with comfort, and familiarity.
However, the most challenging and transformative part of her experience may be her experience with languages. Learning Hindi, for her, has been the most challenging and humbling experience. In the States, communication had been effortless and invisible in its ease. In India, even the most basic communication had to be an effort, an act of patience and vulnerability.
Being able to communicate in Hindi, for her, meant being able to connect with the people in her surroundings, from the shopkeeper to the neighbors to the drivers and strangers, and eventually becoming a part of her world.
At the same time, there have been aspects of life in India that have felt surprisingly more convenient, sometimes even more so than in the US. One of these aspects has been the use of digital payment options. In India, it has been possible to pay for anything instantly with the help of a smartphone. This has made life even more convenient, especially in comparison to many parts of the US, where cash and card are often the primary means of payment. Another area in which life in India has felt surprisingly more convenient has been in the digital forms of identification documents. In many cases, instead of carrying physical documents, it has been possible to access digital forms of important documents when the need arises. Such small but significant measures have made life in a new country feel even more convenient..
And then there are the things she has chosen not to change.
Yet every morning starts with a cup of filter coffee, and that connects her with a sense of familiarity and comfort. Every taste has its limits too. Though she has accepted and enjoyed Indian cuisine in many different ways, she admits that Indian sweets have not quite managed to appeal to her taste buds.
What is most striking about Kristen’s story is not the changes that she has brought into her lifestyle but the philosophy that has driven her to make those changes. She has not simply adopted a new lifestyle or stuck to her old one; rather, she has let herself change in a manner that is real and true to herself.
She also talks about the people she has met with a sense of genuine warmth and affection. The hospitality that she has received has been overwhelming in the best sense of the word. She had sensed a sense of “willingness to help and a sense of generosity that has impacted her in a big way.
Her life in Delhi, with all its contrasts and vitality, has become home for her and her family. But her experience in India does not stop within the city. She and her family have also learned to love travel, to explore the various parts of the country and experience the incredible diversity that India has to offer. This experience has given her another dimension, and her stay in India has become an ongoing experience rather than a routine.
Her experience in India is not about choosing between cultures. It is about learning to exist between two cultures, comfortably, thoughtfully, and with an open heart and mind. “Sometimes it’s good to change your way of doing things,” Kristen says, “and sometimes it’s important to stick with who you are.”
Through her musings on Instagram, we get a glimpse of what it means to create a life in a country vastly different from the one in which she grew up. It has not been a journey of extremes. It has not been a journey of assimilation or non-assimilation. It has simply been a journey of learning, adapting, and choosing what to hold onto and what to let go of.
When she first arrived in India, the differences were immediate and not possible to ignore. The people, the movement of the traffic, and the overwhelming amount of sensory overload in daily life were vastly different from the systematized, somewhat predictable environment she was used to in the United States. For her, daily routines tend to follow a somewhat predictable system, with systematized traffic, quiet public spaces, and a personal space that is not frequently intruded upon. In India, life seems to have a different rhythm, with streets alive with sounds and activity.
Some of the biggest changes in her life have occurred through daily routines, small changes that gradually became a part of her daily life. She takes a bucket bath, a change that at first felt like a compromise but has since become a part of her daily life, a somewhat mindful way to begin or end the day. The jet spray, at first unfamiliar, has since become indispensable, an everyday convenience that she can’t imagine living without.
Food, too, has been an important aspect of her change. Vegetarian cuisine, in India, is not just an option but a lifestyle. This aspect was much more pronounced compared to what she experienced in the US. Vegetarian cuisine in India was incredibly diverse. Kristen has adjusted to this change wonderfully. Among her favorite dishes is chole bhature, which she associates with comfort, and familiarity.
However, the most challenging and transformative part of her experience may be her experience with languages. Learning Hindi, for her, has been the most challenging and humbling experience. In the States, communication had been effortless and invisible in its ease. In India, even the most basic communication had to be an effort, an act of patience and vulnerability.
Being able to communicate in Hindi, for her, meant being able to connect with the people in her surroundings, from the shopkeeper to the neighbors to the drivers and strangers, and eventually becoming a part of her world.
At the same time, there have been aspects of life in India that have felt surprisingly more convenient, sometimes even more so than in the US. One of these aspects has been the use of digital payment options. In India, it has been possible to pay for anything instantly with the help of a smartphone. This has made life even more convenient, especially in comparison to many parts of the US, where cash and card are often the primary means of payment. Another area in which life in India has felt surprisingly more convenient has been in the digital forms of identification documents. In many cases, instead of carrying physical documents, it has been possible to access digital forms of important documents when the need arises. Such small but significant measures have made life in a new country feel even more convenient..
And then there are the things she has chosen not to change.
Yet every morning starts with a cup of filter coffee, and that connects her with a sense of familiarity and comfort. Every taste has its limits too. Though she has accepted and enjoyed Indian cuisine in many different ways, she admits that Indian sweets have not quite managed to appeal to her taste buds.
What is most striking about Kristen’s story is not the changes that she has brought into her lifestyle but the philosophy that has driven her to make those changes. She has not simply adopted a new lifestyle or stuck to her old one; rather, she has let herself change in a manner that is real and true to herself.
She also talks about the people she has met with a sense of genuine warmth and affection. The hospitality that she has received has been overwhelming in the best sense of the word. She had sensed a sense of “willingness to help and a sense of generosity that has impacted her in a big way.
Her life in Delhi, with all its contrasts and vitality, has become home for her and her family. But her experience in India does not stop within the city. She and her family have also learned to love travel, to explore the various parts of the country and experience the incredible diversity that India has to offer. This experience has given her another dimension, and her stay in India has become an ongoing experience rather than a routine.
Her experience in India is not about choosing between cultures. It is about learning to exist between two cultures, comfortably, thoughtfully, and with an open heart and mind. “Sometimes it’s good to change your way of doing things,” Kristen says, “and sometimes it’s important to stick with who you are.”
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