The Dream. The Sacrifice. The Gratitude.

Everyone has dreams—but few understand the price of chasing them.

Everyone has dreams. That’s not up for debate. But let me ask you something uncomfortable…

Have you really gone after the ones that scare the hell out of you?

I’m talking about the big, messy dreams. The ones that make your heart race at 2 a.m. The ones that come with a price tag: your time, your comfort, your safety net. The kind that spit in the face of certainty and ask, “How bad do you want this?”

Most people run from those dreams and others run for it. But here's the truth—those are the only dreams that matter.

Credit: DALL·E

My Dream

My dream? It wasn’t just a dream. It was an obsession.

I wanted to go abroad. Simple to say. Very hard to do.

See, some people are born with a passport that opens doors easily. I wasn’t one of them. The idea of leaving my home country felt like trying to launch a rocket with no fuel. But I was stubborn. And hungry.

Between 2013 and 2018, I devoured everything about the U.S.—tech blogs, YouTube rabbit holes, garage-to-giant startup stories. I studied Steve Jobs like he was a religion. I watched Mark Zuckerburg build empires from dorm rooms. I didn’t just admire them—I wanted to join them.

That’s when the dream stopped being fantasy and started becoming fuel. I didn’t just want to visit the U.S. I wanted to build something that mattered.

2019 changed everything. I packed my life into a suitcase and flew across the world to chase a Master’s degree in Computer Science.

Today, I work at Amazon—one of the big tech companies I once read about in restless sleep. Back then, it was a fantasy. Now, it's a line on my resume.

But let’s be clear—this isn’t about flexing. It’s about what’s possible when you decide your dream isn’t up for negotiation.

Living the Dream Isn’t Always a Dream

I left home and moved abroad to chase a dream.

But living abroad isn’t the dreamy highlight reel you see on Instagram. It’s stunning at times—but also lonely, challenging, and raw.

Nobody tells you this part.

You don’t just pack a suitcase. You pack your entire identity. You leave behind home-cooked meals, language that feels like a hug, and people who’ve known your soul since you were a kid.

You trade comfort for potential. Familiarity for growth. Community for solitude.

There’s a quote that hits different when you’re living it:

If you want to gain something big, be prepared to give up something bigger.

Honestly, I didn’t know the giving part.
But I feel it now—in the airport goodbyes, in the birthdays you miss, in the silence of an unfamiliar city.

Everyone sees the wins. Few talk about the cost.

But make no mistake—this is where growth lives.

The Hardest Part

The hardest part? It wasn’t the visa. Wasn’t the different education system. Wasn’t the job hunt. Wasn’t the food or the culture shock.

It’s missing my family and friends.

I grew up in a close Indian household where love wasn’t spoken but it was shown. Through small daily check-ins. A hot meal waiting. A hand on your shoulder when life felt heavy.

My parents weren’t just my safety net. They were the whole damn parachute.
They backed every wild dream I had—even the ones that meant losing me to another country.

Back then, a quick call could reset my world. Their voices were my grounding wire. My reminder of where I came from.

But distance has a cruel way of rearranging relationships.

Sometimes I miss a call because I’m drowning in deadlines. Sometimes I forget to reply because life gets loud. But that silence? It cuts deeper for them than I ever intended.

It’s not about being dramatic. It’s about being human.

They’re getting older. Many-time they don’t say it out loud, but I hear it in their pauses. Their health dips. Their energy fades. And all I can do is watch through a screen, gazillion miles away.

This is the side of chasing dreams nobody writes about.

You don’t just pay in money.
You pay in moments you’ll never get back.

Success Comes With Sacrifice

There’s no version of success that doesn’t ask for something in return.
No dream that comes without a price tag.

Just like there’s no sunshine without a little rain—there’s no big win without a loss.

Yes, I’m living the dream now. I made it to the other side.
But let’s not pretend it didn’t come at a cost.

I left behind comfort. Familiarity. Family.
The moments I’ll never get back.

And that’s the real truth about chasing something big:
You gain a new life—but somewhere along the way, you quietly bury parts of your old one.

Because in the silence of that sacrifice... is where you truly meet yourself.

A Final Thought

Maybe you skimmed this article. Maybe you didn’t. Either way, if there’s one truth I hope you carry with you, it’s this:

If you’re lucky enough to sit at the same dinner table as your family…
If your best friend is just a drive away…
If your people are close enough to hug—don’t wait.

Smile at them. Hug them a little tighter. Tell them you love them.

Because one day, you’ll realize that wasn’t “normal life”— That was privilege in disguise.

The biggest luxury isn’t chasing the dream.
It’s having your people beside you while you chase it.

Don’t forget that.

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