Key Takeaways

• Non-metro living is possible in India if you design your life for location independence first
• Homeschooling offers flexibility and personalized education that traditional schools can't match
• The decision to move should come from personal conviction, not need - this prevents regret
• Community matters - choose a place where you can integrate, not just exist as an expat
• Realistic expectations are everything - know the compromises before you move

The Unique Background: Russia Meets India in Germany

Anastasia's story is unlike typical NRI narratives. Originally from Russia, she met her Indian husband Shrikant in South Africa:

"I originally am from Russia. In my early 20s I left - initially to do my studies, then life happened. I was lucky to live in several countries, and in one of those countries I met my husband who is Indian. We met in South Africa."

Their journey took them through multiple countries before settling in Germany, where they started their family and built their careers.

Why Germany Wasn't the Answer

Despite Germany's reputation as an excellent place to live, it wasn't right for this family:

"Germany is a particular system - you're either happy being a part of it or you're not. It's not a system designed for entrepreneurs, at least not for small and middle-sized businesses."

Key realizations about Germany:

• The system works well for corporate employees, not entrepreneurs
• Neither partner was German - no deep reason to stay
• They had "expatriate status" that suddenly became "immigrant status" without choosing it
• Their daughter would grow up as an outsider in the community

The "Expatriate to Immigrant" Realization

A crucial insight that drove their decision:

"We all along had been having like an expatriate status - we were foreigners working in the country. And then suddenly we became immigrants in the country, without choosing to do that. This is when we really had to ask ourselves: if we want to settle in Germany or in any other third country, why would we want to do it?"

Neither Anastasia nor Shrikant ever intended to permanently emigrate:

"A lot of people move abroad from their own countries because they really want to relocate, they really want to settle somewhere else. But neither me nor Shrikant ever had this motivation. We ended up working abroad and hopping between countries because we were curious - it was like a life experience. But we also felt as comfortable in our own countries. Our connection with Russia and with India was still very strong."

The Indonesia Trip: Eyes Opened

A pivotal moment came during a trip to Indonesia while still in Germany:

"When my daughter was not even one year - a good thing about the German system is that it's possible to take maternal and paternal leave, you get paid a minimum sum - we went to Indonesia and spent some time traveling there."

This trip changed everything:

"That was when it solidified in us. We met a lot of people who live location-independent lives, and we understood that this kind of settled corporate life is not going to work for us. When you meet people and you see what kind of life is possible to design - otherwise you're just in your bubble. That kind of opened the window of opportunity for us to even notice that there are options."

The Child Factor: The Biggest Motivation

The birth of their daughter changed everything:

"When a child arrives, you start seeing a lot of priorities in your life differently. You become more conscious, think more planned about the future because you have this responsibility. You also maybe take too much on yourself thinking how much influence you're going to have on your child's life - you want to become an engineer of that."

The Four-Language Challenge

"When she was born, you should understand that she was born with four languages around her. I was speaking to her Russian, Shrikant speaking to her Hindi, in the family we speak English, and she was already going to German school."

They wanted their daughter to:

• ✓ Grow up being part of the community, not an outsider
• ✓ Have strong bonds with grandparents
• ✓ Learn from their cultural backgrounds
• ✓ Not be perceived differently because of her parents' origins

Why India Over Other Countries

The couple considered many options - Portugal, Bali, other third countries. But India won for a specific reason:

"In Bali, there are two parallel worlds - the world of people who moved and the world of locals. They do not intersect in any way. I knew that in India it will not be like this."

India's unique advantage:

"The thing I really admire about India is that as a society it really absorbs a lot of people and influences. I feel comfortable. People around me do not live a different life than I do."

Why Goa? The Selection Process

The family explored multiple options within India before choosing Goa:

"Goa is the only place that was this sweet compromise. A lot of people move here with different backgrounds. You still have access to nature. It's used to having international crowd."

The Location-Independent Life Design

The move wasn't spontaneous - Anastasia spent years preparing for location independence:

"By the time we moved, I was working for several years on a professional side that I'm location independent. I decided I will serve international market, English-speaking market, because if I serve German market, then I have less possibility for movement."

Shrikant's Career Transformation: IT to YouTuber

Shrikant, who was in IT, made an even more dramatic pivot:

"It was very clear to us that if we move to Goa, it will be the end of his corporate career. Obviously there are no opportunities. But if this is what a person is seeking, I would not go back to India - I would stay in Germany."

The Corporate Life Warning

"When it comes to corporate life, if this is what a person is seeking for, I would not go back to India - I would stay in Germany. Because in terms of life balance, the system in Germany is actually created for corporates, for people who work in big companies. If you are happy there, I would definitely not move back. In big cities here, the work will consume you - this is what a lot of people are actually running away from."

The Transformation Journey

"At the moment of the move, he was already involved in my business. We were running together an online healthy cooking school. He was supporting me, and then right now my main business is a YouTube agency - I launched it when we moved to India. Shrikant continued on the healthy cooking school track and continued growing his YouTube."

Why Homeschooling?

The decision to homeschool came from their values around education:

"We did not want her to be perceived not a part of the community where she's growing up just because her parents come from different backgrounds. That would happen in Germany, in any European country."

Benefits they've found in homeschooling:

• ✓ Flexibility to travel and experience different places
• ✓ Personalized learning pace and style
• ✓ Integration of cultural education from both backgrounds
• ✓ Focus on nature and experiential learning
• ✓ Avoiding the limitations of traditional Indian schooling

The Reality of Non-Metro Living

Anastasia is refreshingly honest about what she doesn't miss and what she's adapted to:

"The only thing I miss is spaces for prolonged walks. In Moscow, you just come out of the house and walk for hours. Here, you do not go walk in the jungle because there are snakes. But I found my tracks, my trails."

Her philosophy on adaptation:

"When you're very adaptable, you will not miss anything because you'll find the workaround. I do not walk at 6 AM because there are dogs - fine, I work at 6 AM and go walking at 10."

The Goa Advantage

The Integration Factor

"In Bali, there are two parallel worlds - the world of people who moved and the world of locals. They do not intersect in any way. I knew that in India it will not be like this. The thing I really admire about India is that as a society it really absorbs a lot of people and influences. I feel comfortable. People around me do not live a different life than I do."

Realistic Expectations: The Key to Success

The most important insight from Anastasia's experience:

"I was aware before moving what kind of challenges can be here in India - day-to-day life, bureaucracy, things that take longer, maybe not always the quality you want. But nothing came by surprise to me."

"When reality meets expectation, you don't have difficulties. When you romanticize a certain reality, that's where problems start."

The Child's Adjustment

Their daughter, who was about 3 when they moved, has thrived:

"We were understanding that the older our child becomes, the harder it will be to adjust. I know families who moved with children being older - starting with 11 years old, it's very hard. Some stories literally led to disaster because it's a vulnerable time."

Key factors in successful child adjustment:

• Moving before age 10 (ideally before 7)
• Strong bonds with grandparents already established
• Homeschooling providing continuity
• Parents' positive attitude toward the move

The Four-Language Reality

Their daughter navigates four languages daily:

This multilingual environment is seen as an advantage, not a challenge - the child naturally code-switches between languages based on context.

Three Years Later: The Verdict

After three years in Goa, Anastasia has no regrets:

"Whenever I moved countries, I never miss anything from the previous country. Each of my moves comes from a space not of need, but of my personal decision. I have really strong reasons to move and I'm very realistic."

The family has found what they were looking for:

• ✓ Connection to nature daily
• ✓ Integration with local community
• ✓ Thriving online businesses
• ✓ Daughter growing up with cultural richness
• ✓ Regular visits with grandparents

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