I still cannot believe I am in India. It’s such a surreal feeling that continues to make me feel like I’m in a perpetual dream state. Never did I think after graduating college that I would end up in India after a year in DC. But then again, I didn’t know what to expect after I graduated.
“So…why India?”
That was the question on everyone’s mind when I told them I was planning on going to India for a few months; and for every time someone asked me that question, I gave a mix of different answers to the point where I even began questioning myself. But overtime, I realized that it was the combination of all the different answers I gave that answered my own questions and doubts.
Initially, I wanted to come to gain international experience. After all, how could I possibly study international affairs without getting acquainted with the world? India isn’t necessarily the gateway to better understanding the complexities of the world, but it is a country that is becoming an increasingly important player on the world front. India stood out to me as a country I wanted to slowly unravel and comprehend its deep-rooted history and cultural traditions. It has had its share of political disturbances, encroachment by foreign powers, and bloody tensions with neighbors, but through it all, the Indian people, Hindu and Muslims alike, have remained faithful to who they are. Even though I’ve only been here for three weeks, I feel rest assured in my choice to come to India and learn about the wonders of this country through the gracious individuals that consistently stare at me with never-ending curiosity.
My conviction to come to India was strengthened by every comment I heard from friends and families who tried to discourage me from going. For every “India’s so dirty” and “good luck surviving there” to “It’s so dangerous!” [from my mom] and “going abroad won’t help you in the future,” I felt like I had something to prove to people. Even the fellowship that rejected me to teach English for a year in India, I felt that one of the reasons why they had turned me down was because they believed I was unable to handle India. But I certainly was not going to give up and let some rejection letter prevent me from going.
Sometimes I wonder if I should have stayed in the states and tied myself down to a 9-5 job to gain some form of limited financial stability. After all, in this economy, being inside the circle of stability looks much more appealing to the point where it makes others outside of that circle envious. But what puts me back to my own version of reality is looking around right now and seeing that I’m in a completely new place and that I’m experiencing and learning something new each day. I guess this is my comfort and stability. There’s just too much going on around the world and I just couldn’t sit around wondering when I would be a part of all that.
I definitely look forward to what’s in store for me in India and I’ll do my best to keep ya’ll (my very limited audience) posted in the meantime. ;)
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