To India and back again.

Eager to see the world, I left home at nineteen to work on a cruise ship. I felt fiercely proud to be one of the first women in the industry to be “permitted” to wait on guests in the dining room. At the time, it felt groundbreaking, and I embraced every bit of the adventure that came with it.

That journey changed the course of my life. During my travels, I fell in love and married an Indian man in a traditional ceremony, tying myself forever to a culture that would later shape both my family and my creative perspective.

Eventually, we returned to New England to begin raising our family, but life abroad called us once again. With two young children, we moved back to India when my then-husband was involved in launching the Hilton New Delhi Janakpuri, the first Hilton-branded property in India.

Returning to India as a mother was very different from experiencing it as a young traveler. There were language barriers, cultural differences, and countless moments where I felt completely outside my comfort zone. Some days were overwhelming, others deeply rewarding, and many were both at once. Through it all, I knew the experience was giving my sons something invaluable: a living connection to their heritage, traditions, and family history.

Looking back now, those years of travel, transition, and cultural immersion continue to influence my work as an artist, photographer, and writer. Themes of identity, place, memory, and human connection remain central to much of what I create today.