Almost thirty years ago, I ventured out from the only land I had ever known. I thought, at the time, that I was leaving India in order to become a computer programmer. My path would diverge, from computers to ships, but before it did, I found myself in a new city: Odessa. It was everything that I had ever wanted in a city, full of life, teeming with excitement, and I could not get enough of it. At night, I would think how lucky I had been to end up in such a fabulous place. I felt lucky that I got to visit at all, let alone live there full-time.

Fast-forward to today: I am still living in Odessa, but my feelings have changed. Instead of thinking only that I am lucky, I feel that I am blessed. It was wrong of me to say that Odessa was everything that I had ever wanted in a city. It was not that. It was more. In Odessa, I found the life for which I never thought I could ask. I met the woman who would become my wife, the love of my life, and we had a son together. Meanwhile, I built a thriving business, establishing myself as a leader in the maritime industry.

It took hard work to get where I am, but I would be remiss not to thank Odessa. This city, which is my paradise on Earth, has been like a firm handshake and a warm hug all at once. Every day, I get to wake up here – and know that it is my home. You may wonder, though, just how one city could mean so much, what it could do that would set it apart from every other city.

In Odessa – Paradise on Earth, I have explained all of that in my new book. Check that out! (https://drbinaysingh.com/odessa-paradise-on-earth/)