From India to Switzerland to the United States – a quiet story of becoming.
Rishika Gupta · April 15, 2026 · 5 min read · Motherhood · Expat life
From India to Switzerland, and then to the United States, life didn’t follow a plan I had carefully designed. It unfolded on its own. One decision, one transition, one chapter at a time. And somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn’t just changing places. I was changing within.
Every place gave me something and took something too.
In one country, I found excitement. In another, stillness. In yet another, uncertainty and with it, a kind of strength I didn’t know I had. There were moments of starting over, again and again. New homes. New systems. New versions of myself.
And in between all of that, I became a mother.
Travel was no longer just about discovering the world. It became about creating one. For my child, for our family, for the version of us that was still being written.
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Not all journeys are visible
Some of the biggest shifts didn’t happen at airports or on maps. They happened quietly, in the pauses, in the doubts, in the days that felt uncertain and unfamiliar.
There were times I questioned where I belonged. Times I missed what I had left behind. Times I felt like I was in between everything… countries, identities, versions of myself.
And yet, those were the moments that shaped me the most.
The in-between is uncomfortable. But it is also where growth quietly happens, where you are forced to ask yourself who you are when the familiar is stripped away.
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So, what is Outside & Within?
This is not a blog about perfect itineraries or bucket lists. It is not about Instagram-worthy destinations or the best flight deals (though you might find those too).
It is about the emotions behind moving countries and new places. The identity shifts that come with starting over in a new place. The small, meaningful moments that often go unnoticed in the noise of travel content.
It is about the journey you can’t always see.
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Why Outside and Within?
Because every journey happens twice. Once in the world around us, and once within us. The outer journey changes your address. The inner one changes your understanding of yourself.
This space is for both. If you have ever felt in-between places, roles, cultures, or versions of yourself, you are not alone. And you are very welcome here.
This is my story of moving, adapting, raising a family across borders, and learning to go with the flow. Even when I didn’t fully understand where it was taking me.
Welcome to Outside & Within. Namaste.
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About the author
Rishika Gupta is an Indian-born, Switzerland-seasoned, New Jersey-based writer and mother. She writes about expat life, family travel, and what it really means to call a place home.
