Blog from Willow S. Photos from Peter & Diane
Greetings from India! After almost two weeks here, I think it’s really starting to sink in that we are here. Although our days are jam packed and feel long, these first two weeks have flown by. Our seven days in Jaipur seemed especially quick. We were all a little apprehensive about staying with host families, but everyone was warmly welcomed and we have been enjoying getting to know our families a little bit. We have had several interesting field trips, including to the Amber Fort, the Barefoot College, a handmade paper factory, a pottery studio, a block printing studio, and an art museum. We have also been taking some basic Hindi and yoga classes and had some interesting lectures on Indian history and government.
After how overwhelming Delhi was it has been nice to be in Jaipur and get a feel for a different Indian city. Everyone seems to be gaining more confidence navigating another country overall.
The best part is just experiencing genuinely magical little moments that will eventually piece together our whole trip. Like watching the sun rising over the pink city of Jaipur from our rikshaws on the way to class. Or sitting in our host family’s garden hearing Bollywood music drifting past from a nearby wedding. Or on the walk home from class being invited into the neighbors yard for chai served in china teacups and broken Hindi/English conversation. I think it’s these small things that we will remember and leave a lasting impact on us. And Jaipur is just the beginning. I am very excited to continue this adventure with our great group of people.
