Two Months

I can't believe its been nearly two months since I arrived in India! I've done so much and learned so much in my short time here, not only from the classes I'm taking but also the people I'm meeting. I'm forming "impossible friendships" (friendships that never would have been formed under "normal" circumstances) that I'm sure will last a lifetime. The people I have met here have quickly become my new family, giving me new perspectives, thoughts and they've even changed my behaviour (for the better)! I've come out of my shell and learned to really take risks, to say 'yes' to everything. My new attitude is 'why not'?

I heard before I came here that India has this tendency to claim everything and everyone as "Indian". This land has become my home, and I couldn't have asked for a better place to be. I look forward to what the day brings and what new things I can learn. I have been taking Hindi (yes, I'm learning Hindi, and yes, it's hard!), cooking, baking, environmental science, political science, Hinduism/Buddhism and P.E. I really couldn't narrow it down to a favourite class because I genuinely enjoy them all. It's a different feeling when you take classes out of pure interest, I don't feel rushed or pressured or stressed, I'm there because I want to be.

On the weekends the Social Experience Department organizes wonderful volunteer opportunities, I've already been to the tribal orphanage, the school's local greenhouse and The Mercy Home for the Elderly and the Destitute. I've also had the opportunity to be involved in the "Smokeless Stove Project", something I will be expanding on in later posts. I've also been to Bethania Orphanage (a previous post) which was an amazing two days spent with amazing kids.

In my time here I've also picked up (and re discovered) some hobbies, like drawing, basketball, spanish, writing, reading (a lot), blogging :p. (On the topic of blogging, I never thought I would have been the type to keep a blog, but ever since I've been here I actually really enjoy it. It is a wonderful place to express my thoughts and feelings with words while sharing my story with family and friends.)

Overall this has been a positive experience, and with so many projects and trips planned in the future, I'm excited for what I will be doing in the next couple of months.