My move from India to the UK

I was six years old when I moved from India to the UK, but that day still feels vivid in my memory. Our journey began in Bangalore, where I was born and spent my early years. When my parents told me we were moving to a new country, I was filled with excitement and curiosity. They mentioned the colder weather and the different accents we’d hear, but I couldn’t really imagine what that would feel like. We flew with Air India — first to Mumbai, then to London. It was the longest flight I’d ever been on, and I spent most of it wide awake, watching movies and asking endless questions about what life in the UK would be like.

At that age, I didn’t fully understand what it meant to leave behind one home for another, but I sensed that it was something significant. In my mind, London looked like the cartoons I’d watched — castles, red double-decker buses, and people in fancy hats. When we landed, everything felt different: the air was cooler, the streets quieter, the buildings unfamiliar. I missed my grandparents, my school, and the house I grew up in, yet there was also a sense of excitement about starting over. My parents told me I’d go to a new school, meet new people, and try new foods. It was overwhelming at first, but that move ended up shaping a lot of who I am today. It marked the beginning of a completely new chapter in my life.