WAIT, HIIIIIIIII

Hello friendzzzzzzz,


Thank you so much for your patience! I am sorry to leave you all hanging.. we just got an internet connection. I don't have time for a full posting now, but I will say, I am having an absolutely fabulous time so far. Its completely overwhelming in the most euphoric way. More details to come soon.. missing you all!

After we were blessed in a Hindu temple in Golconda Fort!

7.5 Hours 'til take off (I'm counting!!!)

I am just about as ready as a girl can be!


After a memorable 20th birthday and a great weekend visiting camp, I came home in desperate need for  a shower and sleep.  But once I was recovered, it was time to turn to final preparations....




Step one involved pulling out everything I could potentially want or need in the next five months and spreading it across my floor. Looking at the  CIEE packing list, my mom and I pulled clothes out of my drawers, gathers items from around the house, and made a shopping list for CVS. Needless to say, my room was somewhat of a disaster-zone this week. Here's the visual.

Step two-- fitting all this junk into the wheeled duffle that I used for MBI, my 5-week Israel trip in 2007. It was a lofty (and unrealistic) goal that ended with one very overweight bag. Many experienced travelers, including CIEE Hyderabad alumni, recommended that I pack lightly, and I really took this advice to heart. I am only bringing around eight t-shirts, two skirts, two capris, and a few pairs of shoes.  However, my bag quickly filled with linens, medicine, toiletries, and other random travel 'essentials' (battery-powered fan, pocket tissues, gifts for my host family, electronics/chargers, journals, etc.) Eventually, I faced the facts and succumbed to adding a second duffle.  In the end, I think that I will be glad to have two bags with a little extra space. On the way home, Indian gifts for all you friends and family will take up the space of the medicine and toiletries that I won't be bringing home! Good thing I can check two bags, so I won't have to drag all of this across the Mumbai airport between flights. 

Just some money with Gandhi's face on it!

Besides packing, the week involved many other fun preparatory tasks, like making a lost-passport-kit, calling my bank, and picking up some last items. My dad did me the favor of exchanging a few dollars to rupees! Of course, birthday thank you notes are just about the last thing left on the list.. I will most likely still be working on those in the car ride up to New Jersey tomorrow. But do not fear, family and friends, they are on the way!

Tonight, I met some high school friends for final goodbyes at the Silver Diner-- a classic Moco spot with classic American eats. I'm not much of a meat-eater, but I ordered a hamburger tonight, because I won't have that option in the upcoming months!

So, as I said, I am very ready to go. At this point I have prepared for all that I can control, and the rest is out of my hands. There is nothing left to buy, no more medicine to take or culture books to read.  There is no use trying to prepare for every circumstance in which I will find myself or every challenge that I will face. I just have to remember that I have overcome tough times in the past to become the adaptive, competent, and resilient individual that I am today. This experience may be absolutely euphoric, or it may be barely tolerable, but either way, it is only one semester.  As long as I am healthy and safe, I will come home to loving communities as a smarter anthropologist and more spirited individual.  

As my wise mother has reminded me, there is a possibility that (after all this packing) all my bags will be lost on the way.  But, even if I arrive in Hyderabad with just myself and my passport, I will be okay. Basically, much of this experience is out of my control, so I am trying to expect the unexpected.  With this mentality, I feel little nerves, more of a content excitement.  In so many ways, my leaving tomorrow just feels so right. Going to India is what I want, need, and should be doing. 

I cannot help but compare this departure to leaving for Israel in July four year ago (though it really feels like it has been decades).  I recently re-read the meticulous journal that I kept throughout my MBI trip, beginning with a pre-departure entry.  The entire thing is ridden with trepidation-- from anxiety about who I will sit with on the plane and which friends will be assigned to my bus, to anticipating the horrifying possibility of homesickness from thousands of miles away. I write about all the obnoxious detailed questions I asked my older brother and a tearful phone call to a dear friend.  

The contrast between my distressed state the night before MBI to my current excited anticipation could not be more stark.  Yet, on this trip, I am traveling further, for longer, with far less of a support network, and far more unknown futures.  Clearly, I have grown and changed a lot in the last four years.  And unlike MBI, this time I am looking for an adventure!  

Alright, time to get ready for bed. If I am going to frequently post on this blog, I better get faster at pumping out these postings!! Next time, I'll write from India. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Why am I doing this? --CIEE Application Essay

In the last few months, I cannot count how many times I have been asked why I chose to spend a semester in Hyderabad and what I plan to do there. I am sure that many of you are wondering the same thing! So, I am pasting the essay that I wrote to apply for this program, as I think it conveys why I chose to study abroad in India and what I hope to get out of the experience. Enjoy!

But first, heres a photo to mix things up-- Farrah, myself, and Meghana ready for Emory's Diwali celebration this past Fall. This year, I will celebrate in India!

"Studying abroad in Hyderabad, India is a unique opportunity to take a safe adventure.  It is a chance to sacrifice the privileged security of being part of the racial and linguistic majority, in exchange for uncertainty and discomfort.  I hope that this uneasiness will strengthen me, as I am challenged to grow as an excited anthropology student and evolving young woman.

In the summer of 2007, I was heavily influenced by my travels to Israel. I found myself utterly disoriented and overwhelmed when adjusting, on my own, to a home-stay on a kibbutz.  I had to step out of my fear and reluctance in order to adapt, and this gave me invaluable insight into the kibbutz culture.  I left Israel with a maturity that inspired me to continually challenge myself.

My background in Indian culture invigorates my next adventure in Hyderabad, where cultural immersion can again create the rare discomfort that fosters personal growth.  My first memorable exposure to India’s vibrant culture came in fourth grade, when my teacher taught a few classmates and myself an entire choreographed Indian dance that we performed at our elementary school’s international night.  The experience fostered a fond curiosity for the distinct beauty of Indian culture.

Since then, I have sustained an appreciation for Indian food, art, and cultural practices.  In college, I have several close friends from India and attended Emory’s Diwali celebration this past fall.  Being surrounded by the extraordinary festival was one of the few times in my life that I have felt like a true minority, and I reveled in the excitement of my surroundings. I wish to discover much more about a nation that is so important to my close friends and future world politics and economics.

Besides personal interest, I am excited to immerse myself in Indian culture as an inquisitive Anthropologist, invested in public health and developing nations. Anthropology is the study of humanity, often looking at cultural variance to define what is innately human across the world.  Studying in Hyderabad will expose me to a society radically different from my own, and the University of Hyderabad features a broad diversity of people, as regulated by the national government.  The city highlights juxtaposing Northern and Southern Indian traditions, ancient mosques and modern architecture, as well as immense poverty and tremendous wealth all in one city.  This range in affluence translates to a range in health, making Hyderabad as an ideal place to advance my understanding of medical anthropology and public health. While the city promotes cutting-edge research and technology, local populations suffer from many current calamities of global health.  I hope to volunteer with one of the many NGOs in Hyderabad, to gain experience in my potential career path while contributing to a decrease in health disparities.

Academically, my studies in India will directly align with my interests and goals.  For example, SIP offers a yoga class that introduces the theoretical and practical elements of yoga, fostering a deep understanding of a quintessential aspect of Indian culture that is often only appreciated at the surface. In addition, the University’s anthropology department studies ethnographic diversity and applications of anthropological knowledge to the understanding of social problems and development issues, including medical anthropology.  The sociology department also offers courses that fit my interests, such as Sociology of Health, Sickness and Healing, and Social Stratification.

I am beyond eager to enter an environment in which academic endeavors and personal development are imbedded into every aspect of life, in and out of the classroom.  CIEE’s program in Hyderabad is an ideal way for me to take a safe adventure—to study anthropology, volunteer in public health, and challenge myself as a flourishing individual."

18 Days 'til take off (But who's counting?)

I am very excited to be starting my first blog! I can already tell that I am going to love playing with the layout, and this is such an easy and fun way to update family and friends on my semester abroad.  I will try to be consistent with my postings (or as consistent as one can be considering the spontaneous power outages and irregular internet connection). 

So, I begin my journey on July 7th-- driving from my home outside DC to Newark International Airport, where I catch a 14 hour flight to Mumbai, and then a final 2 hour stretch to Hyderabad. I will be traveling as part of a study abroad program organized by CIEE (Council for International Educational Exchange), along with 15 other American students that I have yet to meet. (Here is a link to the program page.)  The program entails spending my Fall semester at the University of Hyderabad taking classes that will transfer credits back to my Anthropology degree at Emory.  Meanwhile, I will be living in a home-stay with an Indian family just outside the University campus. CIEE facilitates day trips around Hyderadab and an overnight expedition in Hampi, but I am hoping to do some additional traveling on the weekends with fellow students. I would like to find a volunteer position, as well, but am still working on those details.

For a little background, Hyderabad is the fifth largest city in India, and the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The city highlights juxtaposing Northern and Southern Indian traditions, ancient mosques and modern architecture, as well as immense poverty and tremendous wealth... heaven for an adventurous anthropologist!! Here is Lonely Planet's overview of the city of Hyderabad: 

            "Hyderabad and Secunderabad, City of Pearls, was once the seat of the powerful Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi dynasties. Today Hyderabad’s west side is, with Bengaluru (Bangalore), the seat of India’s mighty software dynasty; ‘Cyberabad’ generates jobs, wealth and posh lounges like she was born to do it. Opulence, it would seem, is in this city’s genes.

        "Across town from all this sheen is Cyberabad’s gorgeous and aged grandmother, the old Muslim quarter, with centuries-old Islamic monuments and even older charms. In fact, the whole city is laced with architectural gems (just like the garments of Asaf Jahi princesses threaded with gold) : ornate tombs, mosques, palaces and homes from the past are tucked away, faded and enchanting, in corners all over town. Keep your eyes open.

           "Once an important centre of Islamic culture, Hyderabad is southern India’s counterpart to the Mughal splendour of Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, and a sizeable percentage of Hyderabad’s population is Muslim. The city gracefully combines Hindu and Islamic traditions – while a strategically placed 17.5m-high Buddha looks on."

For a little more conext, you can find Hyderabad on this map of India.

As I prepare for my departure, I feel a powerful mix of excitement, nerves, and anticipation. I have been thinking about and discussing this trip for what seems like forever.  Being who I am, I have spent the last month and a half reading travel books, shopping for modest clothing, visiting doctors, filling out visa forms, and researching travel tips online.  At this point, there is nothing left but to begin my journey, and I wish that I could leave tomorrow! 

However, I have a busy few weeks left at home... working Yachad's Ramp It Up! community service camp, celebrating my twentieth birthday, visiting one of my many homes at Habonim Dror Camp Moshava, and enjoying the 4th of July parade in my lovely town of Garrett Park. I am sure this will all fly by, and my adventure will begin before I know it!