Lauren

Love Story: Switzerland Meets India

Larissa is a sweetheart, we met through Instagram and I just fell in love with her and her story. She made a brave decision and has now moved to Delhi for five months, living with her boyfriend and his family. As we have both wandered into joint family life in India, we always have a lot to talk about (and laugh about)! Beautiful and caring, her story shows that you can find love in the most unexpected places…

In Switzerland they say that if you don’t want something, you’ll get it. When I was 15 I wanted to travel around the world but I always said I never want to go to India. I guess they were right, since now I am living India with an Indian boyfriend. I met Prageet online, May 2013, and we couldn’t stop talking. In September 2013, I decided to take a thirteen day trip to India, by myself, the country I swore I would never visit. Despite all of my family’s warnings and worries, I still went. It turned out to be an adventure. 

I hadn’t met Prageet in person yet, we had only Skype’d, but for some reason I knew I could trust him, and I knew he would be waiting for me at Delhi Airport. His parents didn’t know I was coming to India, so he told them that he was staying with friends, when actually he was with me.

 

Visiting India was quite tricky and totally new for me, but I had the best time and we both were very sad when I had to go home. We knew we both wanted to continue with this relationship. In December, he came to Switzerland and I returned to India in March. My second visit to India, his parents had found out about me and thankfully welcomed me into their home. We are so blessed that they accept our relationship and are always so sweet to me. I spent five weeks with Prageet’s family, it was great!

 

 
Switzerland and India couple love mixed

In June, this year, Prageet came again to Switzerland for two months. I didn’t want him to leave, so I made a huge decision. I quit my job so I could spend five Months in India! Two weeks after Prageet left Switzerland, I came back to India to be with him and his family. It’s great to be here and have these amazing experiences, but it is hard sometimes with the culture differences. Please don’t take this personally, but I really do not like Indian food.

 

There are days when it’s hard. The people I meet are very straight forward, they sometimes say things which would never be said in Switzerland, but I have accepted that it’s because we have been brought up differently. Some days it’s just feels overwhelming and you don’t know where to put your emotions, but I have realised, it’s part of being on this journey. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed with a new culture and there is nothing to be ashamed of, it doesn’t mean that I am disrespectful, it means that I am trying to learn and adjust.

 

Being in a long distance relationship isn’t easy and on top of that being in an intercultural relationship can be hard, too. There are always two different points of view and those are inevitably going to clash sometimes. This means a lot of adjusting on both sides and I am just very lucky that his family is so understanding. On my five Months journey I started a blog to show that India is not all rapes and bad things, there are inspiring and good things also. I want to document both, good and bad. It’s so important in the world today that you are open-minded and try to experience different cultures and different countries. So be open minded guys! Finally, thank you Lauren for being such a great friend and inspiration. Love, Larissa

 

Larissa blogs about India and her experiences @ www.SwitzerlandMeetsIndia.wordpress.com/

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30 comments

  2. Haha, I don’t like Indian food, I was laughing so hard… Larissa, I can understand, I have found many my african and western friends , they don’t like Indian foods either. May be because you are not used to it. Similar for us, like we can’t live without eat Roti, curries & chawal everyday but for most of the people eating same food everyday can be disaster haha 🙂
    And very happy to read your love story 🙂 I also very much agree with your few last line, the way we are brought up in two different time & cultural zone , often creates so much misunderstanding, but Love makes everything easy & blissful 🙂
    Wish you all the best for you & Prageet , soon I want to see a new post of you guy’s marriage 🙂

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  6. It’s wonderful to read about your courageous decision to travel alone. As a mother, it is scary to watch my daughter (Crystal) wander the world but I am very excited for her too! The stories you all will have to tell one day and the strong examples you set for your children one day. ♡ Good luck in life and love, Prageet! Blessings!

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  8. After reading your lovely story, I found that you are so lucky because you are able to meet your love without waiting much. And also your family is so accepting.
    God bless you!

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  10. It’s such a nice story 🙂 I just love your blog and every new experiences you just break through lauren 🙂 and really hope that even my story will be as great as these by all it’s ups and downs

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  11. Great new series, Lauren! I love reading about your journey, and those of Crystal and Larissa. You are all inspiring, strong and amazing! Best wishes and safe travels, Susan.

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  12. […] Last week I received a donation from a reader, and several gifts from my friends and family. Thank you so much! I’m writing to share my world with you, and I can barely express how much it means that you are, in turn, showing your support. Finally, if you haven’t seen it, Lauren from English Wife, Indian Life has shared my story on her website. It’s very kind of her to share my story. It has helped people on a similar journey find a story they can relate to, and ultimately touched the hearts of her readers and followers. See my story here, and while you’re at it, visit my friend Larissa’s story. […]

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  15. Wow such a wonderful love story..I am really inspired…I wish I could enjoy such a wedding…Conrats…
    Wish you a very happy married life…stay good and keep posting with your experiences.

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