My parents have told me of the invisible thread that holds all of India together. Unseen, unrepresented, but absolutely present. India is a country that I believe to have the most different extremes. Massive and minute, every kind of terrain and climate, extreme poverty and wealth, it’s all here. Some of the dirtiest things and people living with some of the cleanest. Areas of overcrowding neighbor lands uninhabited. All religions and cultures are rooted and represented. This invisible thread holds all the variety together. I have laughed and danced with the locals. I have held their babies and bathed them. They have impacted me and, hopefully, I them. The thread magically holding together the beauty and chaos and poverty and culture is now with me.
Reflecting on this past semester is something I’m sure will continue for time to come. My new Shiva family was such a huge part of this trip. They constantly made me laugh and challenged me in ways I can not thank them enough for.
This semester has been the perfect lift off for me. I know the head bobble and have the bargaining skills and can figure out a way to book a sleeper train. But more importantly, India has taught me so much about myself. I came into Carpe with a lot of expectation and I feel I’m leaving with the exact opposite: endless possibilities. I find that both a blessing and a curse. My trip has shifted from being a discovery of what I want to do to who I want to be. It so perfectly moved from the tangible discovery to the emotional discovery. I have a firey new appreciation and connection to nature. I am so much more confident in myself physically and emotionally. I contemplate more and question the interconnectedness of everyone and everything.
Om Shanti Om
(Tiger) Lily