Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, ZIP Code: 27518
I moved to Raleigh in May 2021, right around my birthday. It wasn’t just a change of address—it was the beginning of a new rhythm of life. Raleigh, the City of Oaks, became more than a backdrop to my work. It became an inspiring place where I remain in a state of discovery—of who I am and how I can continue to offer meaning to the world.
An Open-Arm Welcome
Raleigh has always felt like an open-armed welcome to me. I even feel it every time I return through RDU—the cutest, most efficient airport I know. The moment I step outside into the waiting area for taxis, there’s this distinct Raleigh air: a hint of humidity, a freshness that feels familiar, and a faint scent I can’t quite describe but always recognize. The vision of the car park in front, the stillness of the night or the softness of the morning—it all feels like someone whispers, “Welcome home.”
That small ritual of arrival grounds me every single time. It reminds me that home is not only where we are born, but also where we are received with grace.
Roots in a Green Sanctuary
To me, Raleigh feels like a city built inside a forest! Its greenery is not a backdrop but an embrace—you live inside it. Driving through tall tree-lined neighborhoods feels like taking a forest bath, sunlight streaming through leaves, serenity soaking into your existence. Even in fall, when the leaves blaze into reds, oranges, and golds, Raleigh never feels bare. The trees hold onto their fullness. To me, that abundance has become symbolic—a reminder that life is generous and whole in colorful combinations of offerings, never stripped down to emptiness.
And then there’s the sky. The big blue Raleigh sky and warm sun have given me something I didn’t know I needed: a chance to fall in love with myself in a wholesome, new way. With each bright day, I’ve come to know myself differently—so much more aware of myself and the world around me.
My Personal Summit of Self-Discovery
In many ways, my home in Raleigh has become my own Himalayan summit. A place not of snow and altitude, but of stillness and elevation in thought. Here, I don’t meditate in silence; I meditate on ideas! What do I have to offer the world? How do cultures connect? How do we keep becoming, rather than simply arriving? These questions have found space to breathe here. Raleigh has given me the clarity to see that discovery isn’t a phase—it’s a way of living.
Songs for the Road
On long drives, I often play Indian songs—old classics and new hits. Somehow, they sound different here. With Raleigh’s greenery stretching endlessly and the sun pouring through, the music feels both nostalgic and renewed. The drives become journeys inward as much as outward, where memory, rhythm, and belonging all meet.
Beyond that, Raleigh has widened my soundscape. I have been swept into jazz, salsa, and Latina rhythms—music that makes you move before you think. Even when I sit still, I can feel life pulsing through those notes. What I am most proud of is that my ear has also grown sharper. I find myself distinguishing Mandarin from Korean, or Telugu from Tamil—not because I know the words, but because I’ve learned to hear and remember their textures and rhythms. In its own way, life here has trained me to listen more deeply—to people and to the world.
A Palate of Flavours
Sometimes, food really is life! Raleigh broadened my taste palate in unexpected ways. Of course, the Indian restaurants are some of the best—serving everything from homestyle thalis to rich curries that remind me of India at its finest.
But it didn’t stop there. I fell in love with Sassool and its vibrant Mediterranean spreads; I discovered fantastic Thai food that strikes the perfect balance of spice and comfort; and I’ve enjoyed great Mexican food that always feels like a celebration.
Cooking in friends’ homes is just as special—gathering in kitchens, sharing recipes, and exploring life together. Food here isn’t only about eating—it’s about connection through flavors, cultures, and hearts.
An Indian Community That Feels Like Home
What has also anchored me is Raleigh’s strong Indian community. From Chhath Pooja to Holi, from Navratri garba to Diwali nights, the celebrations here bring people together in ways that feel both familiar and expansive.
I’ve probably watched more Indian movies here than I did while living in India. Back home, our cultural lives are often shaped by the states we grew up in. But here, I’ve experienced India in its wholeness—Punjabi bhangra blending with Gujarati garba, Bhojpuri songs flowing into Tamil traditions. It’s a living mosaic of Indian identity, where regional roots dissolve into a collective celebration.
These gatherings deepen belonging. They remind me that being away from home doesn’t mean being cut off from it—if anything, I feel closer to my roots here than ever before.
Lakes, Trails and Kayaks
Nature here is generous. Lake Johnson became my quiet companion for evening reflections, while Lake Jordan pulled me toward adventure. Kayaking across its wide waters, I felt the joy of freedom, the calm of belonging, and the thrill of being small in the face of vastness.
And then there are the trails—so many winding through the city and suburbs. Walking or running on them feels like moving meditation, a rhythm of steps syncing with the rhythm of thought.
Beyond Raleigh
Raleigh is also a gateway to nearby treasures. I’ve explored New Bern’s riverside charm, the mountain beauty of Blowing Rock, and the creative energy of Asheville. Each trip has been a reminder that discovery doesn’t stop at the city limits—it expands outward, into landscapes that carry their own lessons and joys.
Farmer’s Markets and Fields
Sundays at Raleigh’s farmer’s markets are their own kind of festival. Rows of local produce, artisan breads, handmade crafts, and cheerful chatter create a rhythm of community. I’ve loved wandering through these stalls, finding flavors and textures that feel rooted in the soil of this city.
And then there is the strawberry-picking season! Out in the fields, hands stained red from picking fresh berries, I felt connected not just to the land but also to a slower, sweeter rhythm of life. Those moments, simple yet rich, deepened my love for this place.
A City of Art & Inspiration
Raleigh also rekindled my creativity. What began as a playful paint class in Cary, celebrating a friend’s birthday, blossomed into 50–60 canvases over the next few years.
And whenever I feel like a blank canvas myself, I find renewal at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA). Its galleries and sculpture gardens, the openness to the sky and light, remind me that inspiration is always near.
A Community in Motion
I also found a community in movement. From Jazzercise with Tara and Brandy, whose energy and warmth always lifted the room, to Midtown Yoga, to Club Pilates, fitness here has been more than exercise; it has been joy, laughter, and connection.
Those classes became rituals of belonging. Week after week, surrounded by women who brought rhythm, kindness, and camaraderie, I realized that community often builds itself in the simplest, most surprising places—sometimes on a dance floor, sometimes on a yoga mat, sometimes in shared laughter after a workout.
A Multicultural Mosaic
Raleigh is a true melting pot, with roughly 59 percent White, 31 percent Black or African American, 12–13 percent Hispanic or Latino, and 5 percent Asian, alongside vibrant Indian and other global communities. You can feel this diversity in the neighborhoods, the restaurants, the art, and the festivals.
This multicultural harmony has redefined me. Raleigh has made me a person at ease with unfamiliarity. I’ve learned to step into new spaces, new conversations, new cultures with the quiet conviction that they will be met with kindness and good intentions. That trust has become part of me now. Wherever I go—be it the Philippines, the UK, or beyond—I no longer feel out of place. In fact, the more diverse the space, the more at home I feel.
Reflections from Raleigh
From Meerut to Raleigh, every zip code I’ve lived in has been a milestone. But Raleigh, since 2021, has been the most inspiring yet. Its greenery, its big skies and warm sun, its lakes and trails, its food and art, its festivals and music, its markets and fields—all of it has widened my lens, given me confidence, and kept me open to the world.
This city is not my conclusion; it is something unfolding. My sanctuary of green drives, my Himalayan summit of thought, my circle of friends, my canvas of art, my compass pointing outward.
And perhaps most beautifully—it is the place that always greets me like an open-armed welcome. A city where every return through RDU feels like someone whispering, “Welcome home!”
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