Wow, y’all. I’m sorry its been so long since I’ve written. The last month and a half has been a whirlwind. My parents visited me for a week in September! They visited many historical sites including, the Taj Mahal, Humayun’s Tomb, the Red Fort, Shahjahanabad, and a Sikh temple.
Papa and me at the Taj Mahal
I hadn’t fully realized how well I know Delhi until I become their guide - it was an amazing feeling. I worried that I might not adapt to my new city, that I would never find my place, but my parents helped me to see how far I’ve come. Turning 20 was a cliche, but appropriate way to mark the growth and change I feel.
20th birthday at the Leela Palace
The next weekend, a group of us visited the tiny state of Goa; once governed by the Portuguese, Goa is an incredible mix of European and Indian culture. We visited a bunch of churches all around the state, all of which were magnificent.
Most exciting though, was the laid-back European mindset. For two and a half months, my legs had been covered my pants or long skirts...but in Goa, they got to see the light of day! I celebrated by wearing short dresses everyday.
Hannah, Me, Jordan, and Christina
Me and Jor
Oh, and did I mention the beaches?
To say it was an amazing weekend would be a understatement.
The first weekend of October my socioeconomics class and I traveled to Tilonia, Rajasthan. We stayed at an amazing facility, the Barefoot College. If you haven’t heard of it, look it up! It’s a pretty amazing place. We witnessed a protest! We also visited schools, daycare centers, and toured the Barefoot College campus. Rajasthan's weather was much nicer than Delhi's - no humidity, just blue skies and a light breeze. It is the desert, so it was very dry and dusty, but I didn't mind. It was also wonderful to see the stars. There is so much light and air pollution here in Delhi, I am lucky if I can see any stars at all. But in Rajasthan, the stars were wonderful...it was almost like being home in Middleburg again. I spent hours every night on the roof lying on my back just looking up. It’s nights like those that I will miss the most.
Our ride for the weekend
People gathered, preparing for the protest
The next weekend, my India Since Independence class and I traveled to Amritsar, Punjab. We saw the India/Pakistan border ceremony. Each morning and evening, the gates are officially opened and closed. Its a very grand ceremony...its also a little strange. My friends and I decided we wanted to join in on the festivities, so we ran into the street to dance and sing and celebrate India.
the hat says: "I love my India"
Dancing with a new friend
That night, we went to the Sikh Golden Temple - it truly glows at night.
The next day we visited a memorial and went back to the Golden Temple to eat at the free canteen there. The canteen feeds 70,000 people on weekdays, and 100,000 people on weekends (on average)...pretty amazing, right? The food was great, too.
The Golden Temple
Jallianwala Bagh
This weekend was uneventful, but so relaxing. As much as I love traveling, I’ve missed Delhi. I only have two more weeks of class, but I don’t want to believe it. I feel like I’ve finally found my place here. I don’t want to leave. I cannot begin to describe how blessed I feel to have met this group of people. I came to India simply looking for adventure, but I found so much more...
I have met some of the most incredible people. I am heartbroken to leave them. I am torn. On the one hand, I’m ready to leave; I miss home, I miss Sewanee, and I miss all my friends and family in the States. On the other hand, I never want to leave India. I don’t want to lose contact with all the friends I’ve made. When I leave Delhi, I will be leaving home. My heart lies in both places. No matter where I am, I’m going to feel like I’m missing a part of myself.
I’m just now coming to realize this.
This post turned out much more depressing than I had intended, sorry.
The good news is, its not over yet. I’m visiting Varanasi next weekend, and then after exams I’m going with three of my best friends to Darjeeling for a week (we’re trekking for 5 days!), Calcutta for a few days, and hopefully Thailand for a week after that.
There are still so many adventures yet to come...
No comments:
Post a Comment