Perrysburg Pulse Magazine Perrysburg Pulse October | Page 25

B IN THE BURG
From Mid
East to the
Mid West
I
With Bhumika Nasta
t takes a minute to change one’s life. A simple Yes set the wheels
in motion for events I had not even dreamed about.
by 7pm so one could eat dinner when it was sufficiently night-like
outside.
Two years ago, I was a different person, in a different land. A
small city far across the ocean known as Dubai. A place where
I was born; had family, friends, and people whom I spent my
childhood with, and where I met him—who became a reason I am
here today.
Slowly but surely, life settled into its rhythms. We had our first
winter chill (and it wasn’t hard to deal with at all!). Days were spent
skip-hopping between Kroger’s and home, much to the delight of
passersby in their cars for no one seemed to walk to the grocery
store but me. We spent time discovering a wonderful community
of neighbors who would mind their own business but would
acknowledge you with a smile. And steadily, Perrysburg started to
feel like home. The city mice were becoming country mice!
When I tell people I come from Dubai, their first question is “So,
you must be rich?” followed up by “Do you have a home in those
amazing towers?” How I wish I did, but Dubai was not always about
breathtaking towers, and money still doesn’t seem to grow on trees
there. It was a different life in the eighties, a desert oasis, with only
two seasons—hot and hotter. Buildings were smaller, palm trees were
aplenty, and transport was just outgrowing its traditional style.
This wonderful town has given me so much—from animated online
conversations about wild turkeys and coyotes (I have yet to see one!)
to wild open skies and breathtaking sunsets that I can enjoy from
my own backyard. This is the town that taught me resilience when
I spent days alone wondering how I would survive in a new nation
without family. It showed me there is always light at the end of the
tunnel (in our case, the wild) and one need only look. It was here I
became a mom to a sweet little girl and fought breast cancer.
As I grew, I watched the city around me grow and prosper. It is in
that city that I met and worked with so many people from different
parts of the globe. From the locals to the Far East and even the
West, Dubai became a melting pot of cultures from around the
world. From the food scene to cinema to even celebrating festivals,
Dubai always seemed to be on a high for life. It was in this city
where my love to discover stories was born.
Mom said I was always a curious child by nature. I never seemed
to bother about attaining results; all I wanted was to experience
something new. Curiosity was second nature to me, and predictably,
I took up jobs which involved people and travelling. Life moved
along in perfect tandem with all the cushions—life partner, steady
income, family, and friends.
Even when I felt I was giving everything up to be called a legal alien,
I was told, Change is always for the good. Someone said it would be
hard, too—sleepless nights; tiring, frustrating days; lots of use of
creativity. It’s never easy, but life does go on. Every step we take
is a journey on its own, every experience an adventure. And with
every adventure comes limitless possibilities. All it takes is a minute
to change one’s life! Now, if only someone can point me to the
direction of those coyotes . . .
And then he got an offer to move to the United States. Of course,
the curious girl in me jumped at it and said Yes, let’s go, what an
adventure it shall be! And just like the world-travelling people of
Dubai I mentioned earlier, we too packed our bags and lives and
took the 16-hour journey, along with a mental image of America
like they show in Hollywood. Physical location: Toledo, Ohio!
Mental image: Manhattan, New York!
To someone used to the dazzling lights of the big city, the drive
from Toledo Airport to Perrysburg was an experience in itself.
Picture this: no street lighting, past midnight, roads surrounded by
dense foliage, deer crossing signs, and two utterly lost souls in a new
country they knew nothing about! The mental photo of New York
was quickly replaced by the ghost towns of Hollywood!
And when it wasn’t pitch black, there was glorious sunshine way past
dinner time! Even in sunny places like Dubai, the sun would set
25
Bhumika left behind a city she had lived in her whole life and moved with
her husband from Dubai to Perrysburg in 2016. When not writing you
might find her nose down in a Harry Potter book, whizzing up a storm in
the kitchen or dancing to the latest tune with her little girl!