My Expat Story: Joseph F. Kolapudi
At Global Living Magazine we want to connect with our readers. We want to know what you’re all about, what you love, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. The best way to do this? Hear it straight from you!*
At the outset, my life as an expat began in an uneventful turn of events. I had been raised in Australia, to South Indian parents, and had spent most of my life doing what everyone else had done – pursue an education, live a normal lifestyle, with minimal travel to any destination except my homeland of India, and the usual layover countries in between. Yet when I turned 21, I somehow knew things were going to be different.
When I first stepped off the plan in Los Angeles, California, I had no idea that this would be the beginning of my expat adventures. I honestly was glad enough to get a scholarship to finish off my masters program in my school of choice. Yet after surviving two years living alone, I knew there had to be something more meaningful that I could be doing with my life. Up to that point in time, my life had basically revolved around three things – making my family happy, making myself happy, and somehow, making God happy. But I knew that I wasn’t making any headway in any direction. So I decided to move overseas to India – a country I had never spent more than a few weeks holiday in to visit relatives or family friends, let alone to live and work in for over a year.
The thought of living and working in India, despite not being able to read or write any of the major languages, and not knowing anyone outside of my own circle of family relatives, actually appealed to me more than spending a 9-5 job stuck at some desk somewhere working for a company I didn’t want to work for. The thrill of actually finding a position where I could impact others and make a difference, while actually enjoying what I did, and being able to experience a different culture and way of life, was more than a dream come true.
So when I finally moved to India last year, I ended up having the flexibility to spend only a few hours in the office, meet with clients and partners offsite, travel to different states for work, teach and speak in conferences and consultations overseas, and still have time to do what I love. It was an amazing ability to find a balance, and actually utilize my background in business, IT and theological education to have a positive influence on people’s lives; whether it was a poor family in the village, or the CEO of a company in the Hi-Tech City metropolis.
The journey still continues today, as I have relocated back to Australia – at least for the time being. I still don’t know where my travels will take me next. But I am confident that in the journey, there is always something else waiting to be discovered.
*If you’d like to be featured on our ‘My Expat Story’ section, send an email to Alison at info@globallivingmagazine.com and tell us about your experience as an expatriate. Don’t forget to include a picture of yourself, the URL for your website/blog, and/or Twitter handle so we can help you connect with other expats from around the world!