I am sure everyone has a story to narrate based on their experiences during Covid-19
Pandemic. I too have my story with both pleasant and not-so-pleasant experiences which I
am sharing as part of Season 1 of Podcast Pioneers, a Toastmaster Club dedicated to
helping members become podcasters.
I would like to take you back to the month of March of 2020, where everything was going
great with lots of dreams and goals to achieve. I would like to take you through the Ups and
Downs of my life at the onset of the pandemic.
UPS
● As soon as the Pandemic started, I started to work from home, since that was
the new normal. I used to drive 3 hours every day, as my office was 55 miles away
from home. I could save this time and dedicate it partially to work, and spend more
time with family.
● Started online learning and gained a lot of new skills, completed two certifications,
and was also able to complete my MS in Cybersecurity during this time.
● Started daily exercising and walking for an hour, which helped to keep me fit and
healthy during this period.
DOWNS
● Applied for a Permanent Labor application, the processing got delayed by more
than 12 months and got denied due to the strike of the pandemic. Consequently, I
had to start preparing to leave the country by October 2022. I realized that my
countdown had started.
● Shifting from the US to India was a big challenge. It was even more painful for
my kids. They were finding it difficult to leave the school, their best friends and to
get adapted to the changes.
● I had to leave the most passionate project I was working on in the US, due to
my Visa status. I felt terrible leaving my close friends, and of course, will be
missing the in-person toastmaster meetings. I miss you Edison. I miss you my
buddy, my favorite Honda CR-V car.
Back in India, my family was so happy to see us back home. They were overjoyed that now
we would be there for them. Seeing their unconditional love, I started breathing fresh air and
getting new hopes.
Life is a never ending journey, I am sure all these were great learning experiences to me and
I love to thank all my family, friends, colleagues and the Podcast Pioneers team – Bipin
Chandriani, Project Manager, Su Brooks for creating graphics for the podcast and Neerja
Purang for integration and publishing of this episode. See you in the next episode
