PUNO, por favor (cole)

Well guys, I had this lengthy post about my incredible journey in Cusco thus far that I was intending to edit and post tonight. BUT instead I am headed on a spontaneous trip to puno/lake titicaca/wherever the road takes me. Maybe I'll get around to posting one of these days?

Til then, here is my first encounter with a llama...

Hasta luego,
Cole

QUE TAL, Y'ALL? (aves)

Hey friends!

So I'm a leeeetle behind on the blogging but with several pre-posting pep talks from Campbell and all these fabulous updates from my fellow wanderers--sounds like Campbell and Aimee are having a blast and Cole is already getting into adventures!!-- I feel like it's time to fill y'all in on what's been going on in my life lately and bring you up to date on my adventure plans…

After finishing exams on the mountain at the end of May, I drove the 8ish hours down south to sweet home Alabama. My car was stuffed so full of things from my room at the beloved Spanish house that I had to strategically place one arm on top of my coffee maker, picture frames, and other random objects in the passenger's seat at all times to barricade them from trampling me. I must have looked ridiculous as I drove into the abyss of middle-of-nowhere towns in lower Tennessee and northern Alabama, dramatically tossing clothes and shoes into the back seat as they tumbled down piles of unorganized mayhem on top of me.  However, I was taking myself quite seriously at the time. As I meandered down those mountain roads, well, "girl my eyes were gettin' misty," as Kate Kelly and I would say. I guess it just all hit me that afternoon as I drove away from Sewanee, physically leaving with my entire sophomore year on top of me-- I realized that I was officially half way done with college. If everything were to go as planned, I would only have two more semesters there. TWO.

 Keep in mind these existential thoughts were coming to me as I frantically flung papers and books and cups and cards away from my steering wheel, looking like a moving scene from hoarders: buried alive.

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/hoarding-buried-alive

 ANYWAY although I couldn't stay for grad week (heard it was a blast!) I had to come home to Mobizle for some pretty milestone events for my family. For one, our sweet old dog died a few days before exams ended (RIP Rosie!). But in more welcome news, my baby sister Kate graduated from high school! (Congrats, tater tot, you're such an adult!) My mom also had a big birthday at the beginning of the summer that I didn't want to miss.

After all of these bittersweet events (none could quite compare to my scene in the car), I made my way to one of my favorite places in the world, Ft. Morgan, Alabama, with some of my favorite people in the world-- my close friends from high school. We enjoyed the splendor of the salty Gulf waves and stunningly clear skies from my friend Lila’s beach house (once AGAIN), a place that has had my heart for years now.

Next was the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores. (Brelyn saw me there at some point taking a siesta in the bless-ed air conditioning of my friend's car, temporarily escaping from the dire bama heat).

At the beach I also met a friend of a friend (Hola, Allison!) who will be studying abroad next year in Argentina. I am so excited to know yet another friendly face will be in the area (so pumped for Kathryn Spencer and Julia Wallace to show me around too!!). After the hangout fest--y'all Jack White was so incredible-- I had about a week at home and then set off for some city adventures in D.C.,"da capital," as my girl Jane Bartlett Pappas used to call it.

While in Washington I worked as the Press Intern in Senator Conrad's office on Capitol Hill, lived with Julia Galliher at George Washington University, spent time with my cousins and grandparents who live nearby, was constantly sightseeing and living the tourist life, and had an absolute blast with my friends there (which included some new North Dakotan pals and a substantial Sewanee clan).

As I worked in D.C., I tried to do lots city-chic things like early morning runs, donning commuter shoes, not talking to strangers, and wearing real live professional human clothes.  And for the most part, it worked! I felt like such an adult. That was, until I came home and climbed up to the top bunk. It was strangely comforting to come home to a bunk bed every night, as it was a reassuring symbol that I’m not really a grown-up quite yet. I should also add that it served as the perfect vantage point for shooting into the basketball hoop across the room. Adulthood? Phew! That was a close one...

For now, I’m back in Mobile spending time with friends and family and trying to get my life together only to pack it back up and hit the road again soon. We moved my sister Kate into college at Belmont University last weekend and it was so fun to see her soaking in her new environment and engaging in such an inviting and promising atmosphere that only your freshman year at college can offer. But I can’t help feeling like a similar new chapter in my life will begin soon, and I am anxiously waiting for it to start. On September 3 I leave for Buenos Aires, Argentina to take part in a School for International Training (SIT) program focused on human rights and social movements.

http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/ssa_arr.cfm?cp=2013SSP

I could not be more excited! I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about how phenomenal it's going to be.

 I plan to study abroad in Argentina for two semesters back to back, meaning I will be away from Sewanee for my entire junior year (I’m coming home for Christmas, Mom and Dad, I swear!). I've been attempting to learn Spanish pretty much my whole life and I am excited to be fully immersed in language in the upcoming months. More than that, I honestly cannot wait to understand more about human rights from a Latin American perspective and to learn from and form relationships with people interested in similar things that I am.  (I know, what a nerd!) Though it really is painful to know I’ll be away from the mountain and from all of my friends and family for so long, I am so looking forward to this adventure and can't wait to see how it unfolds.  More updates are sure to come (now that I actually know how to post on this thang)..

HOPE EVERYONE IS HAVING AN AWESOME SUMMER!! peace and blessin's from Alabama!

Besos, Avery

the view is great from up here (aimee)

Last week my friends and I decided it was time for an impromptu trip to Nepal. We all needed some time away from Delhi’s noise, heat, and smog - Nepal seemed like the perfect holiday. Luckily, last Wednesday was India’s Independence Day, so we didn’t have any classes; with a little sweet talking, we got out of going to our Thursday classes, too. Once we’d been given the go on Monday, we bought the tickets and left early morning on Wednesday. We left Delhi with no itinerary, no guidebook, and no idea what we were getting ourselves into. 

I had forgotten what a blue sky was until I was reminded in Kathmandu; the sky was a clear blue with the occasional fluffy cloud. In Delhi, the sun is usually obscured by clouds and thick diesel fog, but in Kathmandu, I could feel the warm sun on my skin. I’d been missing that. 

We stayed in a hostel for $1.50 per night, and besides the fact that our toilet didn’t flush, it was a pleasant place to stay (we used the hallway bathrooms, don’t worry). Jordan, Adam, Dom, and I spent the entire day wandering the streets. We shopped, ate, stood in the rain, laughed, and explored. Late afternoon we came upon a palmist/astrologer. 

“What the hell, right?” 

“Yeah, what the hell? Let’s do it.” 

We spent the rest of the afternoon drinking Nepali tea in a damp, crowded room listening closely to each other’s readings. I won’t tell what he said to us, but let’s just say that some of it was creepily accurate. 

The next morning we got up early (once again) to catch a bus to the small city of Pokhara. We paid an arm and a leg for the air conditioned bus, only to discover there is no such thing...the next eight hours were sweatier than I would’ve liked. The view, on the other hand, was incredible. I spent the whole ride listening to my iPod, neck twisted, eyes transfixed on the landscapes we passed. 

(some songs I listened to) 

daily routine by animal collective 

bohemian rhapsody by queen 

season of love by shiny toy guns 

four sticks by led zeppelin 

brothersport by animal collective 

home by edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros

since i’ve been loving you by led zeppelin 

little lion man by mumford & sons 

louder than ever by cold war kids 

derek by animal collective 

farmhouse by phish 

comfy in nautica by panda bear 

Our first night in Pokhara we ate at a steakhouse; both Dom and Adam have been dying for steak, but its impossible to get here in Delhi. Big surprise, the only people in this steakhouse were tourists. We spent the rest of the day walking around exploring what we could before it got too dark. That night we could see stars for the first time in weeks. Another thing I had almost forgotten. 

The next day, we slept until 11, ate lunch, and shopped around. We had been dying to swim in the lake, so we put on shorts (for the first time!) and rented a boat for the afternoon. After much difficulty, Adam and Dom finally figured out how to row forward and we made it to a good swimming spot in the middle of the lake. I don’t know if it was luck or something more, but from the moment we got into the water until we rowed to shore, the clouds shifted. They were scattered all over the blue sky, except in a few places, revealing the snow-capped Himalayan mountains. You know that feeling children get? When you can’t stop smiling? You’ve just made a new friend who loves the seesaw as much as you do? So you both bounce up and down for hours, sun on your faces, talking about everything? That’s sort of how the afternoon felt. 

 Me and Adam 

Me and Jordan 

The next day, we were all tired and hot, but we decided to hike up to Sarangkot anyways. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy when we got to the top, but the view was spectacular all the same. We couldn’t see the mountains, but we could see all that was below us - giving us the chance to see Pokhara from a whole new perspective. 

 Dom, Me, and Adam at the top of Sarangkot

Taking in the view (look for the huge dragonfly)

On Sunday morning, we got up early (again) and reluctantly rode the bus back to Kathmandu to take a plane back to Delhi. It was sort of weird leaving Nepal to go home to Delhi. Although I would’ve stayed in Nepal for another couple weeks if I could’ve, it was nice to come back home again. I missed by bed, my auntie, and of course, I missed the hot, spicy-smelling Delhi air.

Yesterday, someone wrote me on Facebook. “Take the long way home” he said. 

I definitely intend to follow his advice. 

A taste of Cusco (cole)

Buenos Días!

A post about my first few days is coming soon. Til then, here are a handful of pictures..

Welcoming ceremony at school

Traditional Peruvian dancers 

Looking super touristy in the Plaza de Armas 

There are always festivals and parades in the Plaza

Nightfall in the Plaza

Incan ruins

Oh so touristy again...

Flying kites in the mountains

Maddie, a fellow student, with women in traditional peruvian clothes 

If you look close, you can see a llama in the fist set of rocks! Accident? No one knows...

All the IPSL students, plus a few

Hasta Luego,

Cole 

CLF--Short & Sweet

Just a quick update here:

I have had a wonderful first week in Oxford taking classes and absorbing all that this city has to offer.
A typical class day appears as so….

Breakfast

9 am—Art History

Coffee & Tea break

11—History Class

Again, a break

12:30 Lunch

2 pm—Class on Arthurian Literature

*we have midterms in just a few weeks, after which we will discuss new topics

A central quad with favored grass (can't step on it, so watcha step!) 

This past weekend I went out to a few pubs ‘n clubs—I discovered a journal entry on Sunday, written to myself earlier that morning, which I feel speaks for itself: “CLF!!!!! No Jägerbombs at 3 AM—even if they are free.” ;) I did manage to explore the city as well: I ventured to the History and Science Museum, which featured dinos (Ricardo would have loved seeing his ancestors!), popped into a few boutiques, as well as ate at a Pizza Hut which surpassed anything offered in the US (**Courts girls shout out—AP Ross was there!)

On tap for this week: Another few full days of class (including a trip to an art museum Wednesday), and Friday holds a daytrip to Stonehenge and the Roman Baths—can’t wait!

and let the adventures begin...(cole)

I was not anticipating writing so soon, but so much has already happened! I came abroad wanting adventure, and within my first 12 hours or so, it came straight away..

After saying my final goodbyes to my mom in the ATL airport, I cruised through security without a problem. I had a long wait at my gate, and killed time reading a book and chatting with friends, all smooth. As I boarded my plane to Miami, it started to settle in - I'm living in Peru for a semester! Obviously, I should know that by now, but its just know feeling real. The flight to Miami was fine, for the exception of spilling my Starbuck's coffee in my purse. With the help of the flight attendant, it got taken care of straight away. I wasn't going to let a silly spill get me down.

Upon arriving in Miami, I navigated my way to the International connections, way over on the other side of the airport. I grabbed a bite to eat a cafe before security, and went on my way to find my gate. At this point, I was getting more confident in myself, thinking I could handle my next few flights without a problem. I was ready to travel through the night and arrive in Cuzco the next morning. I headed other to the clerk to receive my boarding pass, which was not a problem. Though, while I was chatting with her, she informed me that my flight from Lima (where I was headed to from Miami) to Cuzco was canceled. That was a problem. My confidence disappeared. I can navigate my way through an airpot in the US, but I was not so sure about buying new tickets in a different language.  Luckily, I met a boy, Taylor, who was also on the canceled flight and we planned to stick together through the Lima airport as we found a new flight.

Like Miami, the flight to Lima was overall painless. We arrived at 5 am. I had a minor panic attack when I couldn't find my next boarding pass. I scrambled around looking through my belongings as the rest of the flight exited the plane. It wasn't anywhere around my seat, and I figured if the flight is canceled, I probably won't need it anyways. WRONG - but I'll get to that later. Immigration was next on the list, "This shouldn't be a problem," I thought. I handed over the card I had previously filled out on the plane, and walked up to the next booth with my passport. The clerk scanned it. A big red box filled the screen. All sorts of spanish flooded the page - the word that caught my eye was, "ERROR." I almost chuckled.. Just my luck. I was guided to a few different rooms where they made copies of my passport and filled out paperwork. Within 10 minutes, they finished up and I went on my way (and honestly, I'm still not fully sure of what even happened..) Luggage. That will be easy enough. I caught up with my new friend, Taylor, and waited. After about 5 minutes it crossed my mind that my luggage could potentially be lost. I didn't want to believe, there were still plenty of bags left to go. So I waited and waited, and then waited some more. No bag. My friend had his pack and was good to go, so we parted ways for the time being. I then headed over to the lost luggage desk where I was asked for my luggage claim number. The sticker that was with my boarding pass. Lost. I unpacked my entire book bag, determined to find the boarding pass. And by the grace of God, it was there. Deep down in the very bottom (along with a handful of other items I didn't know were down there either.) I handed her the number. "Did you fly from Chicago?" The woman asked. "No mam, from Atlanta," I replied. "But you flew from Chicago?" She insisted. "No mam, I began in Atlanta, then to Miami, and now Lima" I suggested. She informed me that there must have been a mishap, and my bag was in Chicago. I was NOT going to let me get this down. I reminded myself that this is one less item to worry about for customs and my bag will be here soon enough. She handed me the paperwork, gave me a phone number, and sent me on my way.

Surprisingly, I made it through customs without a problem. Time to find a ticket. I headed over to the check-in desk, where many other frustrated flyers waited to find out about their new flight to Cuzco. I was able to find Taylor once again and laughed off my luggage situation. The line went quickly and we received new flights, as well as a complimentary breakfast. Taylor and I compared our flights, his at 9:30 am and mine at 10:30 am. At this point, the five hour layover did not even daunt me. I was happy to have any flight at all. We headed to the food court, where I was feeling anything but adventurous and stuck with comfort zone and ordered McDonald's. Over breakfast, we compared travel plans. Taylor is headed to hike around Cuzco, then explore Bolivia for the next few months. Hearing all of his plans were incredibly inspiring. I jotted down a few companies he was using for future reference. And after my eventful night/morning, it was so good to have a reassuring conversation about South America. All of the misfortunes are part of the journey.

Around 7 am, we parted ways for the final time and went to our separate gates. I wrote in my journal and read, trying to comprehend what all had happened so far, knowing it is just the beginning. Time went by fast, and soon enough I was on my final flight to Cuzco! I stared at the window, in awe of the beautiful Andes we flew over. An hour later, we landed. As soon as I stepped off the plane, I could immediately tell the change of atmosphere. It was already hard to breathe! I walked over, past the luggage claim, to find my ride to my homestay. I had a huge smile on my face as we drove thought Cuzco - I finally made it!

Currently, I am tucked in bed, extremely pleased to finally be settled. All is well and my bag is on its way tomorrow. My computer is dying (and I'm still unsure about the outlets), so I will write more in the next few days about my wonderful family and my experiences.

Buenas Noches,
Cole

CLF--European Studies: Scotland and Durham

And so it begins!

So much has occurred over the course of this past week; Due to this, I apologize in advance for the lengthiness of this post, and in the future will hopefully start updating a tad more frequently!

Following four very full days of packing, last minute shopping, visiting DC-Sewanee friends and spending copious amount of quality time with da parentals, I left mid-afternoon on the second of August to take a night plane from Dulles to London (on which I had some chicken mansala, the national dish of London--Aimee isn't the only one having delicious Indian food!) to take a morning plane to Edinburgh, where I met up with the rest of the group.



Edinburgh: Pollock Halls

Another half-hour bus ride later, we arrived at Pollock Hall (part of the University of Edinburgh)where we promptly dropped off our luggage in our rooms to begin a trek through the highlands of Holyrood Park to combat the dreaded jet-leg.
 


Holyrood Park Highlands


          
Afterwards, my roommate and I caught up on some of the Olympics (watched LIVE from London!), and showered and dressed for our welcome dinner at The Dome. After three extremely rich courses we left completely stuffed yet fueled for the rest of the night's adventures--which included a visit to a traditional pub, Biddy Muligans, as well as a more dance-y club, The Three Sisters. Pascale said it all when she told me "I've never felt so awake and so tired at the same time!"


After a mere few hours of sleep we awoke for breakfast, which, with its large and delectable spread of food, was definitely worth the early wake-up call. Following the meal, our director led an optional tour of Edinburgh, in which he lived for three years after attending Sewanee, through the 'Old' as well as 'New Town.' Notable sights include the botanical gardens, walking the Royal Mile, a visit to the museums. That night we attended the Military Tattoo to view an assortment of dances based upon important historical events prior to visiting Frankensteins, a pub built in 1818.

I was skeptical as to whether two nights would be enough time to get a good feel for the country, however, after the completion of our stay I can confidently say that was not the case--walking through Edinburgh on foot, especially guided by a fellow resident, assuaged such notions.

After another yummy breakfast, the group had a picnic lunch in Almouth at the North Sea before parting ways--we went to Durham while the Eastern track ventured to York.

**these blocks along the sand were placed there during World War II to deter the German tanks from entering England! kewl.








Monday-Friday we had a morning lecture by a Durham professor which was typically followed by a bus ride to various significant locations. The fact that we were bused to the locations of which we spoke greatly amplified the interest of said talks--additionally, I thought there was a perfect balance between the work load and exploration the city and the surrounding area. We would arrive back on campus around five or so and headed to dinner at seven. Afterwards, we typically went to a pub or cafe to talk, drink, and, in some cases, study! One night I booked a flight to Amsterdam the weekend of September seventh--can't wait!

During the class time we ventured to....

Monday--excursion to Hadrian's Wall, specifically the sector of the Wall at Steel Rigg and we also visited the Vindolanda Museum















Bamburgh Castle

 Tuesday= Excursion to the Holy Island (Lindisfarne) and Bamburgh

Wednesday=Bus ride to Escomb Church, Hexham Abbey, Jarrow Church

Thursday=explored Durham in greater depth

Friday= went to Warkworth and Edlingham Castles


Similar to the Sewanee/Monteagle area, tension exists between the "town and the gowns" at the University. Fortunately, we never ran into any trouble during our stay; however, I have to mention the Durham spin-off of Jersey Shore, called Geordie Shore...omg the outfits. Look it up--It's real. Friday night the majority of the track went to Love Shack, which was an absolute blast.

On Saturday, our free day, we had lunch out at a quaint restaurant overlooking the River Wear and explored the city a bit more before our final farewell dinner.



Frequently painted view of the Durham Cathedral and River Wear

I recently received a letter which included a newspaper printout ("never stop exploring") reminiscent of my high school senior theme (the eXplorers): I intend to take this mantra to heart as I venture to all these wonderful places, exploring and absorbing all that this trip--which has so far exceeded any and all of my expectations--has to offer.

　
Currently, I am sitting at my desk at Lincoln College as I write this jumbled post, following yet another long day of *exploring* the city. We have a formal welcome dinner tonight at seven (pre-dinner drinks @ 6:30...woohoo) and our classes will begin tomorrow (8-3:15...i thought we were done with those kinds of hours with the end of high school?)

More updates to come--I miss you all and anxiously await your own departures!!

Cheerio!
CLF
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

three days, here we go! (cole)

Well, the time has come.. the final packing, endless "goodbye" skype dates, and last minute purchases. I'm on the last stretch of getting ready for going abroad. My time at home as gone by so quickly, but then again, so has all of summer. While it was hard to say goodbye to the trail and summer camp, it was easy knowing I have so much to look forward to. 

It still has not fully hit me that I will be living in a completely new culture for four months. While I am obviously really excited for this opportunity, I am nervous to be thrown into a new situation where I do not know anyone, the area, or the language. All I can do it keep an open mind and a smile on my face.

To explain a little more about Peru and what I am doing there... I am going through a program called, The International Partnership for Service Learning (IPSL). There mission is to... "combine academic studies and community service and full cultural immersion to give students a deeper, more meaningful study abroad experience." Lately, I've been so focused thinking about the homestay and volunteering, I've almost forgotten I am taking classes... Let's hope they aren't too hard! I am living in Cuzco, which is in Southeastern Peru, near the Andes Mountains. Cuzco is hot spot for tourist, being so close to the famous Machu Pichu. I visited Machu Pichu many years ago on a trip with my grandmother - it will be interesting to go back and see it from a different perspective. 

Time to keep on keeping on... A week from now, I'm sure I will have a lot more to say.  

Adios, 

Cole 

flying toys (aimee)

This week was fairly uneventful, with the exception of my first trip to McDonalds and Krishna Janmashtami. The McDonalds wasn't bad...but I don't think I'll be going there again any time soon. 

Krishna Janmashtami, the celebration of Krishna's birth, on the other hand, was an amazing experience. We started out our night by visiting the local temple - I had no idea what I was in for. The dark streets were illuminated by lights hanging from every possible surface, and the temple seemed to glow in a different way altogether. Looking around, it reminded me of a carnival - all the decoration, lights, and dramatics...

We walked barefoot through the gates and followed a long, winding carpet to the entrance of the smaller temple, where we received a blessing and a small red mark on our foreheads. There were large bells hanging in each room and doorway: each person rings the bell to wake up the gods. Outside the temples on the lawn were children dressed in elaborated costumes and makeup as the different Hindu gods (a lot of the boys had fake beards painted on them). They struggled to sit still, attempting to hold their divine poses... 

We stayed for a while to watch a children's dance performance, something sort of like a Christmas Pageant, using music and dance to tell the stories of Krishna. 

Later that night, we went to a neighbor’s house for another celebration. They had built a temporary addition onto their house just for Krishna Janmashtami! Inside, red and purple drapes covered the walls, and the two new rooms had red cushions covering the floor. As we explored deeper into the house, we discovered a group of people playing live music next to a large altar-like area decorated with flowers, vines, and figures of the gods. Krishna sat in the center on a swing/cradle that was almost fully enveloped by vines; on every wall there were huge framed paintings of Krishna and the other gods. 

We found space near the front and all sat together, cross-legged. For the two hours leading up to midnight, we clustered together listening to the beautiful music, humming and clapping along. 

As 12 o’clock approached, everyone stood up and flower petals were distributed to us - my friends and I stood close together, anxiously clutching the petals, unsure of what to do next. A group of men stood up front, chanting a song none of us could understand. When they stopped singing, a wave of movement erupted, shoving all of us forward towards Krishna. We held on to each other, pushing others aside (that isn’t rude here), and made our way up to the cradle. As we moved, I noticed two men carrying silver trays filled with hard, plastic toys. Little trucks, little tractors, bikes, etc. Without warning they began to throw these toys into the crowd! I ducked and covered my face as they flew through the air. 
People both young and old, held their arms outstretched, ready to receive the little vehicles. 

After each person had thrown their flower petals onto the swinging Krishna, the room began to clear out as everyone made their way back home. 

Being a Christian myself, I constantly try to compare and translate what I see into what I’m familiar with. I love learning about other religions, but I am still much more naive than I want to be. I’m not sure if my ethnocentric attempts to understand my new surroundings are human nature or narrow-minded. I’m working on simply observing what I see rather than constantly trying to fit things into familiar categories in my head. I’m slowly learning how to take each uncomfortable, unfamiliar, unknown day as it comes...and I think I finally understand how much of a privilege that is.  

Besides, what’s an adventure without a little mystery? 

jaipur (aimee)

This weekend 17 of us made the trip to Jaipur. Friday morning I left my house at 3:15am and headed for the Old Delhi train station. Once we arrived we realized it wasn't going to be the train ride we had expected...we were in the sleeper cars. I've experienced a sleeper car once before - 13 hours from Calcutta to Vizag when I came to India in 2010. I remembered it being dirty and uncomfortable, especially the bathrooms...if you consider an open hole onto the tracks a bathroom. When I stepped onto the crowded train, I wasn't thrilled. The car was dark, hot and narrow. Many people had already claimed their beds (benches, really), and maneuvering around them proved difficult. My seat, 42 C1, was a top bunk. With people pushing past me from both sides, I frantically hoisted my torso up onto the high "bed" and clumsily swung my legs over onto the safety of my perch. Lying on my back I stared at the ceiling and adjusted my duffle bag to use as a pillow. 17 year old me would have been terrified, angry, and overwhelmed. But it didn't seem as bad as before. The entrance was intimidating, that's true, but once I had found my way to my bed, things looked pretty good from up there. 

my view

Once in Jaipur, my friends and I had one thing on our minds: food. We found a non-veg restaurant where we could refuel and make a plan for the day. 

We found the best view of the Pink City...from above. 

view from the minar ('tower' in hindi)

Finding adventures requires putting a lot of trust in the people around you. The rickshaw drivers who picked us up assured us they would take us to see elephants, and of course we wanted to see the elephants. When the rickshaw finally parked, I looked around me. No elephants in sight. No people in sight. I was in a back alley. I looked at Jordan and Sam apprehensively and slowly got out of the taxi. Our driver smiled and said, "this is my special place". I'm in trouble, I thought. Three girls, one middle-aged man, and an abandoned street. Many escape plans went through my mind. Why did all the boys need to be in one rickshaw? Why are they so far behind us? For a few seconds, I felt sheer panic. 

The driver smiled at me and ushered us out from behind the taxi. Just then I heard another taxi pull up behind me. Hal got out, smiling. I have never been so happy to see my friend Hal. Now we had an ex-football player around to serve as our body guard. 

"Hal, why don't you lead the way?" I said, eyes pleading for him to comply. He smiled at me and we made our way around the corner. 

Elephants. Five of them stood tall facing the opposite wall.

I checked two things off my bucket list that day: seeing an elephant, and riding and elephant. 

I think I can die happy now. 

We finished our day by visiting the Water Palace. 

On Saturday we did a lot of sightseeing - we went to Lakshmi Narayan, Ganesh Temple, Hawa Mahal, Amber Palace, and finally, Village Textiles where I got three tops and a skirt custom made.

 Hawa Mahal (Window Palace)

Amber Palace

Visiting Jaipur made me realize how much I miss mountains. Delhi is wonderful for many reasons, but scenic beauty isn't really one of them. Jaipur is filled with gorgeous buildings, people, and of course, mountains that frame the entire city.

I had a great weekend, but I am relieved to be home in GK II.

-- Aimee 

first week of school (aimee)

This first week of classes has been a little crazy. New classes plus the stress of the blackouts has made this week tough. On the bright side, I love all of my classes so far...

I just need to get used to how long they are! 

Mondays & Wednesdays: 

Yoga (practice and philosophy) 8-10am

Art History (at the National Museum) 11am-1pm

Socioeconomics 345-515pm 

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 

Cities of Delhi 1130am-1pm 

India Since Independence 130-3pm 

Me, Jordan, and Megan waiting for a rickshaw on our first day before yoga  

On Monday we celebrated my friend Adam's 21st birthday...a great start to the week!

A very blurry, dark photo of us at Uber Lounge. 

Sam, Dom, Hal, Jordan, Adam, Me, Pablo, and Jessie 

This weekend a bunch of us are heading to Jaipur...our first trip on our own. Our train leaves tomorrow morning at 4:25am, meaning I need to leave my house around 3am... 

Hopefully we don't get too turned around in the Old Delhi train station. 

Wish us luck! 

-- Aimee