Ithaca to India

Long time no post! I've been up to a lot over the last month and a half. Here are the highlights of my experiences since my last update: August 18-19: Orientation Right after my last blog update, I attended the District 3060 orientation in Vadodora, Gujarat. It was an amazing experience to meet everyone! Almost all of the exchange students had connected online a few weeks before we met in person, so meeting everyone face to face was almost like a reunion. During orientation, we learned a lot of useful information about Indian culture, as well as a lot of the same information about Rotary rules and expectations that were covered during orientations in our home countries. We played some games, danced, and had a spontaneous mini talent show. I stayed overnight with an exchange student living in Vadodora and her host family (Aleyna from Germany). We had a great time together, and with her little host sister, Zea, watching Bollywood movies and talking until late Saturday night. ...

Hello again! A little update: I've recently had the opportunity to be formally introduced to many members of the Vapi Riverside Rotary Club, during the Interact Club installation ceremony for the upcoming year. Interact clubs are a subset of Rotary International, and are designed to promote leadership and service to middle and high school aged youth. They are found around the world, just like Rotary clubs, and they are a popular high school extracurricular option for kids here, especially if they have parents who participate in Rotary. The two Interact Clubs sponsored by Rotary Vapi Riverside Each year, there is an installation ceremony for new officers and members of these clubs. This year, the installation was also where I met many members of Rotary for the first time, and had the flag exchange ceremony. This is one of the Rotary's many symbolic gestures, where I, as an exchange student, present my sponsor club banner (Ithaca Noon) to the President of my host cl...

This time last week, I was enjoying my first Indian Gujarati meal, after sleeping in until 4 pm following two days of travel and recovery rest. Now, even though it feels like so much time has passed, I have only been on exchange for about 7 days. Here's what I've been up to this week: 1. Eating food! I have adjusted to the meals here pretty quickly, because they are just so good. Most people here are vegetarian for religious reasons, and my first host family is Jain. This means that not only do they not eat meat, but also eggs, gelatin, and root vegetables. Jainism is a separate religion from Hinduism, and is "concerned with the welfare of every being in the universe, and with the health of the universe itself" (according to Jainism at a Glance ). In the USA, following this diet would be difficult, but here, Jain people have been practicing for thousands of years. A typical meal consists of dal,  a soup-like dish with a lot of protein; a cooked vegetable (usually ...

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", ...