Vesna Pericevic Jacob: India Through My Eyes
Holistic fitness expert Vesna Pericevic Jacob on the chance meeting that brought her from Bosnia to Delhi, and the confluence of spiritual energy and ambition that keeps her here.
I first came to India a day after Christmas in 2003, and the first thing I did was to visit Rashtrapati Bhawan. As I stood on Raisina Hill, I felt a sense of belonging and knew I could live in India. Who would have thought that a chance online meeting with an Indian would turn into a life-altering journey.
My first visit turned into a highly eventful fortnight during which I accepted a wedding proposal, and decided on a date two months down the line to tie the knot. This set of whirlwind decisions understandably did not go down too well with my parents and friends. But with some persistence, I got their blessings and moved to Delhi in February 2004. In hindsight, it is the best decision that I ever made.
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What I love about living here is the inherent optimism and positivity as well the openness and acceptance I have received from everyone.
No one has ever made me feel like an outsider. I have encountered generosity and kindness right from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to dusty villages in Rajasthan to the cozy confines of Lutyens’ Delhi. It is the people, I have been fortunate to have interacted with, that make India worth living in. They have been supportive of my ideas and plans, which always resulted in offers of help, and suggestions on how to go forward.
The aspect that fascinates me the most is how people here are always ready and focused on moving forward.
My home, Bosnia was torn apart by a civil war over 20 years ago. We were held back economically and politically. I would not say it is easier living here and we have our fair share of problems, but these don’t hold us back. There is dynamism and hunger to progress which is infectious and exciting.
A lot of my spiritual awakening has taken place since I moved here and motherhood has played a very big role in that. India’s openness to spirituality is amazing. I believe I could not have explored my own path so freely as I have been able to anywhere else. The confluence of the spiritual energy and an aching ambition of its youth trying to reclaim the glory make it a very exciting place to live in.
From the October 2017 issue of L’Officiel India.
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