Indian Woman Shares Life Lessons From Living And Travelling In Europe

Living in Europe is often associated with gaining a completely different perspective compared to life in India. From flexible work hours to keeping parts of their calendars reserved solely for vacations, Europeans never miss a chance to amaze people around the world. Recently, an Indian woman reflected on what she learned while travelling abroad simply by observing cultural differences, and her thoughts resonated with many on social media.

In an Instagram video, Visha Khandelwal highlights how she is trying to incorporate these learnings into her routine back in India. She says, "As an Indian who spent the last few months inside European homes, here are the things I learned and how I'm applying them in my daily life. Let's go."

She begins the video by talking about the importance of small social gestures. "Two months in Europe, and I formed the habit of greeting everyone - cab drivers, waiters, even strangers passing by," she says. While she admits that this cannot always be replicated in India, Visha points out that sharing the OTP first with an auto driver is often more practical. However, she explains how she adapted the learning: once the journey begins, she starts a conversation. "Trust me, sometimes the perspective you can get even in those twenty minutes of an auto ride is mind-opening," she adds.

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Another key takeaway for her was punctuality. Visha recalls an incident when she was travelling with another Indian woman alongside a Swiss man. "If we wanted him to meet us at 8:30 in the morning, we would tell him 8:45, and he would still show up at 8:30," she shares. Over time, this habit pushed Visha to start showing up ahead of time herself. She reveals that the stress-free feeling and freedom from guilt, without having to apologise for being late, feels "so underrated."

She also speaks about the idea of living for oneself. "I've shared co-living spaces with women aged 35 to 40 who were travelling alone, writing a book, focusing on their fitness, absolutely unbothered," she says. "Log kya kahenge doesn't even register as a thought. They moved out early, started earning their own money, and made their own mistakes without a committee of stakeholders-also known in our country as relatives-voting on every decision of theirs."

The video was captioned, "What I learnt from Europeans as an Indian travelling abroad." She also mentioned two more learnings that did not make it into the clip: learning to say no and drawing clearer boundaries.

Watch the full video below:

The video also sparked a lively discussion in the comments section, with viewers sharing their own experiences and reflections inspired by Visha's observations. Many found her learnings deeply relatable, while others added thoughtful perspectives of their own.

One user wrote, "This is so relatable, especially the punctuality part."

Another added, "India needs this mindset shift slowly but surely."

Someone else mentioned, "Greeting strangers is such a simple thing, but it makes a huge difference."

Another comment read, "Girl, I can't even tell you the kind of conversations I've had with my Rapido riders. I recently met a guy with whom I had a full 20-minute conversation about AI and where the job market is headed. Truly some of the most amazing interactions."

A viewer praised her expression, saying, "Love it. How you described relatives as stakeholders - so well put."

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Meanwhile, one curious follower asked, "I just wanted to ask how you live with families. I also want to travel and learn different cultures, so what do I need to do to live with local citizens or families?"

What do you think of the three lessons the woman shared? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!