HELLO
I’M ASHIKA
Hey, you found me! Welcome to Chai Culture Confessions – where self-discovery is pursued with bold flavors and unfiltered truths. I’m Ashika Mehta-Ombe, the chai-loving soul behind this space. Born into one culture, raised by many others, and constantly evolving, I know what it means to exist in the in-between. And guess what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Unlearning expectations ✌🏽 | Rediscovering herself 💃🏽 | Finding home everywhere 🗺️ | Blogging my evolution 📝
Spilling the Tea on Me
When I meet new people, the one question that I am always presented with is: “Where are you from?” This has always been a long-winded story that I have had to summarize for people (because as we all know, in today’s world attention span is mostly limited to those 30-second reels we are all so addicted to!).
Well, here is my not-so-short story that begins with a plot twist – although I am 100% Indian (or at least that is what I have believed my whole life since I choose not to sell my DNA to Ancestry.com), I never actually lived in India.
My story begins in Plymouth, UK, where I was born. I spent a large part of my childhood in various countries across the Middle East (Bahrain, Dubai, & Saudi Arabia), before my parents moved to the USA. Here is where I then spent all my life till my mid-30s.
Born in Motion
I grew up in the farm-fresh suburbs of the Garden State – AKA New Jersey! I went to university at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where I met my husband – who, yes, “stereotypically” IS the LOVE of my life and will always be my safe space.
We bought our first home in Somerset, NJ, and eventually moved into what I thought would be my “forever home” in Hillsborough. A few years later, we got married, and I gave birth to three incredible little humans – the very reasons I breathe and push myself to be better every single day. All three of them were born in Plainsboro, NJ.
In 2020, somewhere between all this New Jersey-ness and the world coming to a screeching halt (thanks to what felt like the zombie apocalypse during COVID-19), I started feeling a restlessness in my soul. The idea of growing old in one place suddenly didn’t sit right with me.
The pandemic shook me to my core and made me realize that life can change fast as f***. If I truly wanted to carpe diem this shit, I had to start checking things off my bucket list.
First up? Fulfilling my long-time dream of living on the West Coast – specifically, the sunny shores of San Diego, California! Eventually, after doing all the financial planning and logistics (because being a responsible adult is supposedly the right thing to do), we packed up all our stuff, downsized heavily, and booked a one-way ticket to San Diego International Airport.
We spent three amazing years in the SD suburbs, making memories that will stay with me forever. The endless beaches, sunshine year-round, swinging palm trees, and some of the best Mexican and Asian food I will ever eat.
Europe, Here We Go
Sounds like the perfect place to settle down, right? Well… not for me! Remember that checklist I mentioned? It was time to cross off more.
Eventually, I realized that America just wasn’t cutting it. I made a coast-to-coast move that made me desire even more, and I thought, why not go across an ocean this time? After making endless pros and cons lists, we thought, why not do the whole European dream thing?
I mean, if Emily in Paris can live her best life – complete with hot men and land a killer marketing agency gig – why shouldn’t I give it a shot too? So, with all three of our littles in tow (obviously, this is the not-so-Emily in Paris part hehe), we made the leap and moved to Barcelona, Spain, which is now where we currently are calling “home.”
An Evolution of Me
Through all this moving and relocating, I started to realize that “home” is just a word and “culture” is only a piece of who I am. I felt like I was thrust into a place of some serious Dr. Phil self-discovery, and “home” is nothing more than your temporary zip code. A place where you are going to stay for a bit and see if it truly feels right.
You see, what I thought was me just simply moving and traveling actually turned into moments where I have learned things about myself I never thought I was capable of. Leaving my base and leaving behind everything and everyone I knew gave me the fresh start that I needed.
When I pushed myself out of my comfort zone (the zone where you are shackled by your upbringing, your environment, and your fears), I realized that who I am today is not at all who I was. I have discovered a new me. An evolution has happened.
What I am creating is a collage of all the bits and pieces of me. It is a masterpiece that is still in the works and will continue to be until the day I die. And the best part is that this time around, I will be the sole artist, with a chai in one hand and a paintbrush in the other!
Why Chai Culture Confessions?
Chai isn’t just a drink. In India, it is an invitation to come in, stay for a while, and chat. Just like culture, it’s infused with history, identity, and personal flavors.
This blog is my open diary, my confessional, my way of sharing the messy, beautiful journey of embracing who we are – without limits, without labels, and without apologies.
This blog is for the misfits, the wanderers, and the ones who refuse to fit into a single box.
Ready? So I invite you to come in, stay for as long as you like, and let’s stir things up.
