The other day I came across an IT professional who was leaving her current job just because her company expected her to take an overseas opportunity in US. When I asked why she did not take it up she said "I won't be able to visit my family if I migrate abroad, like I do now. I'm okay if they send me somewhere in Gulf from where the distance will be less to travel". Her reason put me in back foot for a couple of seconds because this reason took some time to seep in my thoughts not because I wanted to counter that but primarily because I didn't know whether her answer or say expectations were right or wrong. More important I was trying to analyse how many people might have this reason when they pass on the opportunities of a global career.

I have a cousin who has been living in the UK for around 10 years now. He went on company sponsorship, which initially was considered for a short duration but now looks like a permanent thing. So like in any typical case when the parents age and they or may be relatives & society expect you to be with them rather than away; people started preaching him to come back to India for his family. He was suggested to take up employment in any metro city if his home town was not offering good opportunities for him. While having one such discussions with him as to what people expect he asked me, "tell me, you are in India. So do you visit your family every month? Or what is your frequency?". I answered instantly, "no no bhaiya it's always once or maximum twice a year. I mean with the job and the travel distance how is it possible to visit every month?". He replied, "that's it. I live in UK but I visit thrice a year so do you really think that distance actually matters? It's more so same. If you are in any part of India or out in US or UK, you will travel by flight only and the reasons or timeline which you will give to fly back to your hometown will be more or less the same. Nobody who is in India and working out of hometown will decide to visit every 3 months also, leave alone every month. At least I am earning in British Pounds". I had no reason to disagree.

So the same logic when I gave to that IT professional, she readily said, "yes you are right. I didn't think it that way". The thing is we have our own notions and judgements about working in own country or working abroad and all such similar instances which will demand us to move out of our comfort zone and we keep on giving reasons to ourselves to avoid breaking that comfort zone. But if try and analyse; the opportunity cost will remain the same. In fact when we break that comfort zone the benefit is always better; for some it is in British Pounds!