Home is where the heart is.

    I seriously failed at updating this once I got back in the United States. I have, in fact, made it home safe and sound and have already finished one week of classes back in Gainesville.

    I arrived back in the United States around 1 a.m. on August 11th and in the comfort of my pillow-top memory foam bed at 3:30. (seriously, Indian beds are the hardest things in the world, although they told us Americans that they find our soft beds equally uncomfortable.) So far I have unpacked, repacked, worked my last two days at summer camp, baby-sat and visited friends and family before I headed back to school, along with tons of reflecting, processing and thinking.

    Of course, the first question that everyone asks is "how was it?!" I never thought that that simple question could ever be something so difficult to answer. I don't think one word could ever do this experience justice and as time moves on, I feel like my answer will continue to evolve. It's easy to say it was a "good" trip or "trip of a lifetime" type cliche answers peppered with stories of animals in the streets, casual exchanges about the food, culture and weather, and the occasional joke of how Americans don't have the leg muscles to use Indian toilets, but these surface stories and impressions could never do a country as complex and incredible as India justice.
    There are sights, sounds and experiences that you just have to experience first hand to describe. How does a simple one-word answer describe a huge country of one billion people? Or the vulnerability I felt as a minority for the first time? How do I replicate the feeling of constantly being stared at or having your picture taken where ever I went? How do I articulate the questioning of all that I have ever known, and my own purpose in the world, or whether I was just another idealistic college student?
   One thing that India did was make me feel small. Obviously, when you enter a country full of a sixth of the world's population, you are going to feel tiny, miniscule, and utterly unimportant and vulnerable. That feeling only lasts a week though. I soon found that it was liberating. That feeling of "smallness" meant that I didn't have to do it all, (Or, I guess it reaffirmed my previous blog posts.) That I was free to discover and make mistakes. It showed me that eternity is so much bigger than I could ever wrap my weak mind around.

   For now, I guess it's safe to say that the trip was good. It was nothing that I could ever plan for or expect, and it's still difficult to articulate all my experiences as I'm still reflecting and learning exactly what the trip taught me. It's definitely safe to say that I fell in love with India and have a serious case of wanderlust, so please be patient with me and give me grace if I can't give perfectly clear and concise answers to your questions, but I promise answers will come soon enough. 

Home (Indian style)

               No, I'm not back in the United States yet, but after visiting north India, (Delhi and Rajasthan) experiencing the world's largest power outage, riding a camel and an elephant, some bouts of E.Coli and crazy allergic reactions and an ear infection, we're back in what we consider our Indian home at the MCC campus in Chennai.

For the time that we lost power/didn't have internet access, here's what you missed.

Most days we would have to get up around 6:30-7:00 to be ready for breakfast at 8. (pretty rough for some college students)

Following that, we would either have a 3 hour class session, or a day long visit to local NGOs or guest lectures.

Usually we got home around 8, and had dinner at 9 (Again, that took some adjusting), had a debrief session about the day, then went to bed. We also had a few free days in Jaipur and Delhi, so I got to explore, see India up close and personal as well as visit the Taj Mahal and complete my childhood dream of riding an elephant.
I've learned so much on this trip, both academically and about myself. I've seen things I can never unsee and have learned things I can never unknow. It's been a trip of a life time, so please bear with me as I use this as an outlet to process everything.

                                                                 With Love,
                                                                    Kaitlyn

                   

Cross-Cultural Mishaps #2

            So far we've spent only three days in Delhi, but it has been nothing less than uneventful.

The train ride we quite the adventure. As someone who likes her space and values cleanliness far more than many people, being squished into that tiny compartment was tough, along with the Indian style bathrooms and unusable water.
            Of course, over 36 hours there was bound to be some confusion and moments of mishap as fifteen Americans were shoved  into basic Indian modes of transportation without too much warning or prep.
 To give you a taste of what it looked like, here are some pictures:

This is how many of us were in one compartment. Those lovely shirts were so we don't get lost. You know, because we don't stick out enough in an Indian train station.

This was my bed on the top bunk of our compartment

         
         The first accidental mishap came within the first hour of the train ride, when I tried to change into my pajamas, completely unaware of the fact that there was a wide enough gap to give the men in the next compartment a full view...oops. Let's just say that in India, the most conservative western undergarments could be considered very risque. My mantra for this trip has now become, "At least I'll probably never see these people again." for whenever I accidentally do something embarrassing.
      Once we realized the train was nothing like Harry Potter, much to our dismay, we decided to go exploring. Over the 36 hours we were able to venture through almost the entire train, from our comfortable a/c cars with beds to the very back of the train filled with people and with bars over the windows. We encountered beggars on the train, all kinds of tea and food being served, open doors to the tracks below us, and many confused stares as we wandered about, and finally even more confused looks as we piled 17 people into 1 compartment for a lecture.
     Once we were in Delhi, the real fun began. So far, in our hostel, we have discovered kittens (ew, ew, ew.) and rats. (I know, even better.) We also found out, that the guards and men that work in the hostel now think us American girls are huge wimps (which I guess is true) and can reach octaves when we scream that are so high, only dogs can hear them.
It all started when I was downstairs doing homework, when I heard doors slamming and Katrina screaming "STACY! STACY! STACY!" as she tried to get her out of the shower. The first thought in my head was "Oh my gosh, someone just broke in and is going to traffick us." So I did the sensible thing, and ran upstairs to see what the problem was. It turns out, that there was quite a large rat making its home in Katrina's suitcase. The slamming doors was due to the fact that out of self-defense, Katrina accidentally locked Stacy in the room with said rat. Let the screaming and shrills commence. Once we were all able to calm down, We were able to get Dr. K and a guard.
We then had another valuable life lesson. Those Indians don't mess around when it comes to rodents. Rather than the expected rat trap, there was a lot of stomping and a large stick. The rat put up a fight, biting Dr. K, but in the end, met it's ultimate demise and had to be swept down the stairs.

       Other than that bit of adventure, we've gotten to see some of Delhi's best sites, did some serious shopping, visited an NGO, was stared at a lot, had my picture taken a million times, with only half of those times by someone I actually knew and finally, ate 6 chicken nuggets and a chocolate chip cookie. Hooray for American food! (I do love Indian food, but Indian food 24/7 is rough.)

All in all, India has been great adventure and I'm just a little over half-way through.

"India, like life, is what you make of it." - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

                                                              XOXO,
                                                              Kaitlyn

Planes, Trains and Autorickshaws

Those have been my main modes of transportation to and around India. I'm happy to say that after 36 hours and two nights on a train. I survived while successfully suppressing any panic attacks, and anxious tendencies. It was certainly an adventure.
Now we're catching up on rest and showers at our newly renovated and fairly modern hostel in Delhi, that at one point was used as the equivalent to the Olympic Village for the Asian games. (Basically, the Asian Olympics that are held every 3 years.)

We're hear until July 30th, heading to Jaipur for five days, then flying back to Chennai for the final few days.

It's definitely been an incredible journey.

                                                          XOXO,
                                                          Kaitlyn

"Sorry, That's just my face"

              If I had a dollar for the amount of times I have had to say that exact sentence, I would have been able to pay off all my tuition in a year. Sadly, it's kind of the opposite since I have to clarify with "No, I'm not upset." or "I'm not mad at you." before people think I hate them. I've also heard the "Oh, it's just because your nose goes slightly up" Yeah, because that's going to make me feel better as a thirteen year old girl after watching America's Next Top Model.  Over the nearly twenty years of my life, I still don't really know what this supposed face looks like and I never notice when I'm doing it.

What does this have to do with India?

             The first time I thought of this was when we were taking one of the million (literally) pictures that Dr. K had initiated when the tour guide pointed out that we all have "picture taking smiles" unlike Indians who are always so serious in pictures.
I noticed it at the SOS Children's village when the children would ask for a picture and want to see my camera but then run away laughing because they were "too afraid" to take a picture.
I noticed it on the quite moments when riding a bus or rickshaw or walking to class in a sea of unfamiliar faces who stare back with such serious disposition and dark eyes, while others look with curiosity and surprise to see a white girl in their developmental economics class. Out of self-preservation and a lack of comfort in such chaos, (because everything about traveling in India is chaotic.) I think I finally figured out "the face" and why it definitely wasn't doing any good in India.

The best answer to that: Smiling. (Cue, "Smiling is my favorite from Elf.")

              I sat against a bus window looking out while we were stuck in traffic for what seemed like four hours and looked out where I met the eyes of a girl who looked about my age (Although a lot of times I can't tell, sometimes Indians look way younger than they actually are.) We stared at each other for about ten seconds as I tried to come up with ways to tactfully avoid her curious glances.
Then it occurred to me. I may be the only white, American girl she sees in her entire life. Who am I to say we have nothing in common or decide that I am too uncomfortable and must avert her curious looks. Why do I, of all people, have the authority to decide that this is the impression she should have of Americans. First impressions speak volumes. Why do we give such harsh an menacing looks?
In those ten seconds, I decided to smile.
Do you know what happened? She smiled back.
I felt better about the fact that everything was a little scary and new. I felt better about the fact that despite the fact that we had one of the most difficult NGO field trips of the trip, which resulted in me crying in public, (and in front of my professor, awesome.) there are still things to smile about.
I was reminded of this verse:

"I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile." - Job 9:27

It's cliche, but like nearly all cliches and sayings it certainly rings true.
      
       India is challenging and changing me in some of the best ways possible. It's in the little things like having grace for my roommates when they are working long hours into the nights, letting a friend sit on my bed during bible study, despite the fact that I used to flip out if anyone touched my bed at home, or sharing clothes when another forgot something or they're laundry didn't come back on time. It's learning to bite my tongue when the only boy on the trip with us continues talking after a six hour long trip, when the rest of us girls are tired and ready to fall asleep on the "45 minute" long bus ride home. It's learning to let go of my expectations and schedules and remember that "Indian time" is no where near as exact as I would like it to be. It's learning to go with the flow and smile. :)

(After writing this post, I promise I will accept a gentle reminder of this the next time anyone sees me give someone a look :) )

P.S. We're leaving in about two hours for a 36 hour train ride to Delhi. I'm still unsure about the living arrangements once we're there, so again, internet and blog posts may be sporadic.)

                                                              
                                                                With Love,
                                                                 Kaitlyn

Picture?

Overlooking Chennai from St. Thomas Mount

Our first Auto Rickshaw ride!

Playing with some of the kids at SOS Children's Village

A beautiful temple we visited

Participating in a Hindu baby shower

Receiving our honorary shawls at SBS

ATVing on the Beach!

The fishing boat we rode in, and got soaked

Aside from staring, we get a lot of Indians trying to be sneaky with the camera. Sometimes they ask, but most of the time, they just snap away. When Dr. K tries to assemble us all to get a "money shot" as he calls it, we tend to attract a pretty big crowd with far more cameras then we intended. So, I thought I would share some of my own from Chennai and this past weekend on Ideal Beach.

Chaos and Consistency.

If I'm being honest, I haven't blogged as much because the first few days in India were difficult. Really difficult.  I struggled. Like I said before, I didn't want to have any expectations for the trip, because I knew there really wasn't anyway to prepare for what I was going to experience. It was a huge culture shock.

Landing in the airport was overwhelming. All I heard was Tamil and nothing about a single word I heard or a sign I saw was recognizable or the least bit familiar.

My blonde hair and light skin covered in my western clothes stood out in the sea of colorful saris as I tried to deflect the curious stares that I couldn't handle at 4 in the morning.

Nothing was familiar and I was scared. I wanted to go home.

Did I make a huge mistake? Why did I say that I didn't "need" to study in Europe. What made me think I could handle myself here? Why in the heck did the wasp-y college girl from the U.S. think she could do it? What in the world (pun intended) was I trying to prove?

Luckily, despite the whole British-airways-trying-to-screw-me-over-oh-my-gosh-I'm-having-a-life-crisis-in-a-period-of-five-seconds-I'm-scared-how-do-I-properly-communicate-without-getting-arrested debacle, I was able to find the other students on my flight, get through customs and get our bags (with only one missing, that later arrived) fairly easily.

Once I caught up on sleep and adjusted to the culture shock though, I began to see India for what it really is.

There's no way to truly describe India that could really do it justice. I'm sure over the next four weeks I'll be seeing and doing things I would have never expected.

There's nothing familiar about it, but occasionally, I find little glimpses of comfort that I recognize and hold on to throughout the entire day. It's beautiful and heart-breaking, ancient, dirty, and happy. It's so much more complex than I could ever explain. It would probably take way too long to really explain everything I've experienced and am experiencing. I'm still processing and trying to understand. So allow me some grace in using this blog to figure out what India is to me.

I'm still not sure what my purpose here is, but everyday I'm seeing a glimpse of the eternal kingdom and a reminder that I'm right where I'm supposed to be for the time being.

I'm learning and really loving it here. It's changing my perspective to see so much of the world through the eternal perspective of mercy, compassion and grace.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:12-13


                                                           With Love,

                                                             Kaitlyn

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Yesterday I ate a meal off a banana leaf without any silverware, signed a bunch of "autographs", was an honored guest at an Indian school  and to top it all off, was on a national Indian news program. The hospitality in India has been overwhelming and visiting Sethu Bhaskara school was no different.

Definitely things that can be crossed off my unexpected bucket list.

I couldn't stop smiling the entire day because the look on every child's face was pure elation and SBS was a prime example of vision and purpose at work. I've come to the conclusion that at least in south India, if you're white, because it's so uncommon in a non-tourist city like Chennai, Indians bend over backwards for you. It's incredibly endearing and I'm immeasurably appreciative of it, because as college students we don't deserve it in the slightest.

It's difficult for me to really capture everything that's happened over the past seven days, but my friend Stacy wrote a great post about yesterday's events:
No Autographs Please

The Bucket List

      I have an ongoing unofficial bucket list going on in my head. Mostly, it's cool things I want to do or try or things that I decide are bucket-list worthy once I've already done them or am in the midst of doing them. Some of them include, Eating fish and chips in a pub in the UK. (CHECK!) eating a macroon from Laduree in Paris, going to India (CHECK!), learning to paddle board, and snorkeling off the coast of Africa and other various travel activities. I feel like at some point I should actually write them down  and make an official bucket list, especially because I love lists so much, but after today, I think this is one that can definitely be crossed off my unofficial bucket list so far: Riding an auto rickshaw through Indian traffic.


This is what an auto rickshaw looks like:

And this is what the Indian traffic looked like today. For example, it took us 2 hours to drive 20 miles:  

      
(Hopefully, I'll be able to upload the video from today's adventures, but the internet here is a little spotty.)

                                                                  XOXO,

                                                                 Kaitlyn

Update!

Arrived at the Madras Christian College Campus in India, safe and sound and with all my bags!

Farewell, Again.

Just a quick update on my time in London before I head to India tomorrow!

"By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show."

Tonight is my last night in London, then I'm off to Chennai tomorrow afternoon! It's a ten hour flight and I'll be landing at 3:30 am India time, so there will definitely be some jet-lag. Luckily, there are a few other students that will be arriving in London from Miami en route to Chennai, so we'll all be on the same flight.

I absolutely loved London, and definitely want to come back some day. Everything here is beautiful and I don't even mind the weather! I loved the city, the history, the busy-ness, the people, the accents, the culture and the fashion. Seriously, everyone here is so trendy, I love it. I could sit in Covent Gardens and people all day long. More on that later, because I am OBSESSED with the clothes here. Wicked was also INCREDIBLE. Hands down probably my favorite show I've seen. I had chills and can't stop singing the songs. Everyone should see it.

I'm so immeasurably thankful for these opportunities and the fantastic hospitality of my aunt, uncle and cousins. They went above and beyond to make sure I had a great time and are seriously the best.

Now the adventure really begins and I can't wait! Hopefully I'll be able to update once I'm settled at MCC.

For now, here's some pictures from my hop across the pond.

                                                                  With Love,

                                                                     Kaitlyn

London!

I've safely arrived at my Aunt and Uncle's house in London with 2 of my cousins! (In case anyone was really that concerned.)

Yesterday was my first jet-lagged day and we went to lunch at a cute Italian restaurant in Weybridge they walked around a little and hung out at home.

Today we're sight-seeing around London then seeing Wicked tonight! I'm so excited!

                                                  XOXO,
                                                  Kaitlyn

Across the Pond!

Today is my last full day in the United States, and of course, I procrastinated and am still finishing up my last pre-trip homework assignment. By Friday, I'll be headed to this place until Tuesday to visit my wonderful, hospitable and international aunt, uncle and cousins.

 

   Then Tuesday, I'm off to India! I'll leave you with some pictures that make me so excited to see in real life once I get there. Hopefully, I'll be able to find time and an internet connection to share all my experiences once I'm there.

                                                                      With Love,
                                                                        Kaitlyn

Why India?

"This is indeed India!
The land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendour and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of hundred nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of traditions, whose yesterday’s bear date with the modering antiquities for the rest of nations-the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the world combined." - Mark Twain

I didn't think it was that weird that I was studying abroad in India. In my head it seemed like the trip of a lifetime. I could also fulfill my dream of being an indie/hipster/hippie - type, you know, everything my life already embodies. (That was clearly a joke. I'm not that ridiculously shallow and I don't fit those stereotypes whatsoever.) I'll probably regret that last comment because sarcasm doesn't come off well online. Sorry, I'm not really sorry. I'm mentally preparing myself for the berating I'll get by anonymous comments after that. Whatever. (Again, I should probably filter my sass.) But in all seriousness, I was beyond excited to go, accepted into the program, and my parents were completely on board.

Then people started asking "Why?" Like that was the strangest idea they had ever heard.
Really, I just wanted to answer "Why not?" with a slightly sassy tone, but that would be snarky and mean and rude. (I swear, I filter in real life.)

I guess this does make sense since I'm a PR/Economics double major...however, my minor is in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance. Career-wise (that's a long story in itself) it will be an unforgettable and basically necessary experience. (And definitely not a waste of tuition money...someone did make that comment.)

So, I complied a list of Why India. (In no particular order)

• The colors, the sights, the history, the people. I mean, have you seen Eat, Pray, Love? If that doesn't make you want to travel, I don't know what will.
• I have a serious case of wanderlust, India is one of the first of many.
• I get to ride an elephant while I'm there. Elephants are my favorite animal ever, so I think that's reason enough.
• The program itself is incredible. We'll be studying NGOs and development in the second largest democracy in the world, while getting hands on experience with the NGOs we visit. It will be an unparalleled experience.
• Dr. K and Dr. L, the professor and his wife, along with their eight year old daughter, are absolutely wonderful. They've already treated us like their family, and as Indian natives, have amazing insight.
• Along with the India being on my travel bucket list point, I have wanted to go to India ever since I read and watched A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Yes, when I was little the beginning totally freaked me out, but I so wanted to be like Sara Crewe...minus the whole "your father gets PTSD after the war and forgets who you are while you're abused by the boarding school principle" thing. However, even at almost twenty, I have firmly held onto the "every girl is a princess" mantra. This probably makes me really weird for admitting this, but whatever. It's classic literature.
• Finally, and definitely most importantly: the great commission. It's a calling. It's the verse behind the title of this blog. Romans 10:15 has been on my heart since December, and I know God is calling me to India during this time. That isn't to say you can't spread the gospel wherever you are, but I'm working on being obedient. (This is just a glimpse into my purpose, the full story will be another blog post on it's own. I know, you'll probably be on the edge of your seat waiting for it.)

                                                        With Love,
                                                           Kaitlyn

Namasté!

        Introductions in the virtual world are always weird and awkward. Seriously, it's the norm to follow people on the internet but super creepy to do that in real life.  Especially since I don't think anyone outside my family and close friends will actually read this.
        With that being said, I'll be studying NGOs ad development  abroad in Chennai, New Delhi and Jaipur, India for five weeks this summer. The point of this blog is to keep everyone updated in the most convenient way while I'm abroad and too chronicle my adventures so that I remember as much as possible. Mostly, because I like to talk a lot and when I get excited I talk super fast, so rather than listening to me, people can keep up with this blog, and when they get tired of "listening" to me, click the next tab to Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest. 

       Really, the primary purpose of this, for the time being, will be so my mom can make sure I'm not getting any tattoos or piercings and won't end up on an episode of "Locked Up Abroad". But seriously I love writing, words and new cultures. It's a way to collect and share my thoughts and what I learn while I'm there. 

       If you made it this far, thanks for the virtual support. I also think I'm mildly entertaining and tend to have weird/awkward/funny stories, so I promise to try to keep you entertained with some blog-worthy cross-cultural mishaps.

                                                    With love,

                                                       Kaitlyn