As I start my first week back at Michigan I reflect on all the things I did in India. My time was so crazy and rushed. An initial set of weeks simply adjusting to a reality so far from my own, one where I resembled no one near me, just as I was also an anomaly to the people of the streets on the outskirts of Jaipur. Walking to buy an ice cream or fruit at the stands down the street were my only escape as I worked until 5 and the sun set at 7, not to mention the daily high of 40-46 degrees celsius putting a damper on any activity between 9am and 6pm.

My weekends on the other hand felt like a completely different time altogether. eager to see and visit as much as I could, I would take night buses and walk around all day until my legs gave out. Taking time at the hostels only to rest before waking up at sunrise to get the most out of my weekend. It really was an almost 180 shift from what was a really chill office life back in Jaipur.

My last and final chapter of my time in India was arguably the best. Something that was meant to be a three day trip to Bombay ended up being an extended 10 day trip with a stop in Bangalore and heading all the way up to Rishikesh. It was during this time that I truly experienced India not as a foreigner among others but truly as an Indian. I met the kindest, most welcoming people in Bombay who took me in as one of them, despite having only met that same week, and even invited me on a trip to Bangalore where I got to experience a bit of the South. Great food, great breweries, and a taste of nightlife in a growing, young urban environment. What people never talk about is the amazing hospitality and pride Indians feel for their country. They want you to enjoy yourself as a foreigner while also immersing you into things that I may never have experienced had I not reached out to talk to them.

Along with all the difficult and often frustrating situations I experienced in India, there is nothing I would change about my time in this wonderful country. For my future endeavors in India, I want to return to Bombay or Bangalore and experience my time in a more urban environment. Working at an NGO was very eye-opening and I appreciate everything I learned and saw, but it only gave me a glimpse into how part of Indian lives. Thank you to SISA for everything it allowed me to experience, and thank you to India for taking me in and showing me great friendships and love.

-Emilio.