When nothing seems to go our way and an opportunity strikes, catching us unawares, we eye it with cynicism, not letting ourselves believe that we do have a shot. This is how I greeted the news of my invitation for an onsite interview with Amazon. I knew what I had to do was to prepare for it, but what I did was to assume it was a mistake on their part and that I did not deserve it. After spending more than two weeks thinking about all the possible reasons for Amazon making such a mistake, I was on the flight to Seattle, excited about my first interview at a company as well as about meeting two of my ‘former’ roommates after a long time.

I could not help but overhear the interesting conversation between two passengers near me. The lady said she travels all the way to LA to get tattooed! It used to be San Francisco, but LA now. I was astounded at what seemed to be extremely superfluous. Or maybe it’s time I got my priorities straight, instead of judging others. Seated next to someone who was reading a research paper and trying to look smart myself, solving  some difficult problems, I arrived at the Seattle-Tacoma airport an hour later than the schedule.

This was my first time staying at a hotel all by myself too. If it was not already difficult putting myself to sleep in a room that could fit three more people, something that I was not used to in a long time, the fire alarm that went off some time before three in the morning, was not helpful at all. It took me some time to realize that I was not dreaming and before I did, I locked myself out of the room without my footwear or a jacket to keep me warm.

After that eventful night, the interview was not exactly what I wanted my first one to be. The upside was the opportunity to meet others from various universities across the USA and also some really nice people who made me feel like I was going to get the job immaterial of how I performed in the interview. Later in the day my friend opened my eyes to how they try to lure us by hosting their session in their brand new building, only to be exposed to the difficult life once we start working. We spent the night at a sports bar, playing the games that they had to offer and our own charades.

Though I wanted to visit some scenic spots in Seattle, the city had other plans for me. It realised what I needed the most – a fresh start! My walk from the hotel to my friend’s house was interspersed with countless stops to admire the streets drenched in the rain. It poured all day, because of which we had to limit our outings to a couple of good restaurants in downtown Seattle. Being among friends who do not eat as much as I do has it perks too. I was lucky to be treated to a host of delicacies and snacks that my friend had received from home for Diwali, which remained even though it was a week since the festival.

Little more than two years ago, if you told me that I would be living in a different country all by myself and visiting other cities where I have friends who would be ready to accommodate me, to let me interrupt their lives and be a part of their weekend fun, I would not believe you. I almost feel like a grown-up now, though some things I do – like telling an interviewer how much I hated working on a project, does not help prove it.

I would not believe it if you told me that I would be driven by an Ethiopian who could sing Hindi songs too. My ride to the airport on my way back was entertaining, to say the least. He recollected the names of a few Bollywood movies that he had watched and said that he thought our countries are similar in a lot of ways. If that was amusing, my Uber ride home from the airport was nothing less than intriguing. The driver had me cracking up when he said I would get a job because he thought I was trustworthy, even before he knew me for more than a few minutes. He was interested in discussing everything from the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality, which he knew from a really smart guy who rode with him earlier, to Indian food. He dropped me off with a reassuring “It’s all going to work out”. If a complete stranger has that much confidence in me, I should not be worried!