An Indian-American woman, Tanu Priya, recently went viral on Instagram after posting a Reel reflecting on the everyday comforts she has learned to appreciate more deeply since living in India for 15 years. Now residing in the Chicago area, Priya shared three luxuries from the US that she says she will never again take for granted.
The first comfort she highlighted was something many people in the United States don’t give a second thought—hot water directly from the tap. Priya explained that while living in India, she had to switch on a geyser and wait at least 15 to 30 minutes before bathing. By contrast, homes in the US typically have centralized heating systems, which make hot water instantly available.
Her second point was about showers. According to Priya, the water pressure in Indian homes was usually so low that she resorted to using a bucket for bathing. Washing her hair, she said, often required two full buckets of water. In comparison, the strong and steady water flow from showers in the US feels like an undeniable luxury.
The third convenience she mentioned was having a dishwasher. Although her household in India had domestic help to wash dishes, Priya noted that during holidays or times when help was unavailable, the responsibility fell on her family. She emphasized that the ease and reliability of a dishwasher became something she especially valued after those experiences.
Priya’s Reel, which she described as sharing her “humbling experiences,” has since gained thousands of views on Instagram, with many viewers resonating with her reflections on the small comforts that make daily life smoother.
This isn’t the first instance where social media has sparked conversations about life in India versus abroad. Recently, an American woman living in India listed her own observations, saying she enjoyed Indian food, appreciated being part of a minority community, and valued hospitality and local farming. At the same time, she admitted to missing her family, disliking Delhi’s pollution, and struggling with the garbage on the streets.
Together, these posts highlight how day-to-day life across countries can shape perspectives, making routine comforts feel like privileges when seen through a different cultural lens
