Back in India

I am back in India! I was given the position of Assistant Director for the India Studies Program that I studied abroad with a year and a half ago! The position is for 2 semesters- or about 10 months. So basically I get to live in India again and continue learning and experiencing all the things I didn’t get to do before. I will be in charge of the students that are coming to study abroad. For many of them, this will be their first time out of the US, but whether or not they have traveled before, India is like no other place on Earth and will be overwhelming at times. It is my job to help them dive into this unique culture and experience as much as they can in 1 short semester. I will be planning trips around India for them to see the many sides of India, answering their many questions about how to live here, and helping them processes all that they see and experience.

 coffee break during salwar shopping trip

I’m really excited to watch my students come to love India and not only survive, but THRIVE in this land.

I’m excited to walk the familiar streets of Coimbatore, greet my Indian friends from when I studied here, taste the savory foods, see the brilliant colors of saris all around me, experience the jolt of adrenaline  from crossing the busy streets, and see the sweet faces of my kids at the home for mentally and physically handicapped people that I worked at last time. (see ‘Becoming Aka’)

But I am also coming at this with a realistic view. I arrived several days after the students because of trouble with my visa so I have to work extra hard to catch up. I’ve never been an Assistant Director before and so there will be a lot to learn. I already know of the many hardships of living in India- the heat, trains, cockroaches, beggars, and dealing with India Standard Time (IST). I know that there will be challenges and that the way I handle these things will greatly affect the way the students perceive and handle them as well. All in all this year is destined to be a huge learning and growing experience. Here goes! 

Riding in an auto