Ithaca to India

I am writing this from my new home in Vapi, India! After a long journey and a day of rest, I am starting to feel settled in and ready to begin my life here. I figured I should write about my journey :) On Thursday night before leaving, my parents and I decided to go on one last adventure through the waterfront trail. We biked around and I said goodbye to some of my favorite Ithaca things: the Farmer's Market; the lake; the people out barbecuing and walking their dogs. It felt strange to realize that I wouldn't see my home for a long time. On Friday morning, my family drove to Syracuse at 9 am. The airport there is completely under construction, so finding our way around was a little stressful. We said goodbye while I was waiting in the security line... and I was way more emotionally affected than I thought I would be. While people in front and behind us tried not to pay attention, the three of us were a teary mess (mostly me). I felt simultaneously guilty for leaving my par...

Okay. I'm just going to start this by saying that I am a chronic over-packer. As a kid, I once brought a giant backpack, a suitcase (which I borrowed from one of my parents, feeling very officially Adultish), and a duffel bag to a weekend sleepover with a friend. So, how could I possibly prepare to pack everything I could possibly need for a year away from home? I decided to start the packing process by getting rid of general stuff that I don't need. I cleaned out my closet, my desk, and all the random tubs of things lying around my room. As someone who mainly goes to thrift stores and really loves interesting combinations of clothes, I had a lot of extra novelty pieces that I never have worn, or will ever wear (including a sweater vest with bedazzled sunglasses and stripes slapped on as a quirky design). I realized that in order for me to "make space" for all of the new experiences I would have during my exchange year and college, I had to physically clear out my t...

"Why am I doing this?" This question, of motivation, is one that I have asked myself repeatedly throughout the processes of applying, deciding, and committing to do Rotary Youth Exchange. It is also the one that people have asked me most frequently as I have explained my plans for the upcoming year to friends, family...and strangers, in awkward small-talk conversations. When writing my first blog post, what better question is there to answer than this one? As a high school junior and senior, I have often felt the need to prepare a single story about my future plans. The most common conversation I've had with adults (and peers) over the past two years has been the "college talk": " Where are you going? What will your major be? Are you excited? Stressed?"  I'm sure that many high-schoolers can relate to the awkward pressure of this conversation. The need to make decisions is one of the more defining characteristics of "growing up", ...