I apologize yet again for the delayed response of my Indian adventures. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have arrived home, or at least my home for the next few months. It finally set in that I would be living here, no longer just a tourist but an actual student visa that needs to get registered in order to live here. It is no longer just a vacation; it is my life for now. On Friday we met our host parents, and let me tell you, I got the best of them all. My host mom, or how we call her, Kakima, which means Auntie, is extremely protective and responsible. She is one of the most caring women I have ever met, and her primary concern is that we are safe. She used to work on Wall Street in New York and so she understands the way that Americans live as opposed to Indians. Kakima has the most amazing laugh which makes me smile every time that I hear it. I seriously could not have asked for a better Kakima to live with in India. I’ll be sure to take pictures so that you can all share in my joy. Then there is Kaka, which means uncle in Bengali. He is one of the most wise men I have ever met and so extremely eager to share his wisdom with all of us. He has so many stories to share, and his wonderful smile and story-telling voice makes me want to hear more.
Our home is incredibly beautiful. It is in one of the most scenic and prominent neighborhoods in Salt Lake City. I share a room with Rita and right next door to us is Brenna and Tiffany. On our floor we also have a kitchen where we eat all of our meals, two bathrooms, and a gorgeous living room. On the next floor lives Kakima and Kaka, then there is the roof-top terrace where there is a room in which Drew lives. The roof-top terrace is stunning, filled with flowers and complete with a breath-taking view. Anima, the most amazing woman with the most beautiful smile is the caretaker of the home. She cooks our meals for us, cleans for us, and basically keeps the home running. Kakima absolutely loves Anima, and she has become part of the family.
There’s been a bit of a hold up with our internet so that is why I haven’t been able to reach any of you. Yesterday was pretty much a blur, but we spent the day at the City Center mall with two more members of our group and their host brother. Then last night we attended Puja, which is a form of worship in the Hindu religion. We were extremely blessed to wear Kakima’s beautiful sari’s and then we were shown off to everyone at Puja. We listened to them worship and then we ate. Although the food was spicy for me, I was extremely proud that I held my own and ate more spice than I ever have in my life. The rest of the night we spent talking with each other, and I read more of the Hunger Games, which are extremely addicting books if you haven’t already read them, you must.
It’s so unbelievable to think that this is my life for the next semester, but I am so blessed by God to have this opportunity. As nervous and tentative as I am, I love challenges, in fact I thrive on them. I know that this will be such a challenging semester, but I also know that it will be such a fantastic journey filled with fantastic people. Me being the quote person that I am, brought some quotes to put on the wall of my room with me. One of them says, “This is the moment when you find out who you are.” Britt and I love that quote, and we’ve been trying to tackle that for, well a long time. Rita saw it and we decided as well that this is the perfect theme for this semester. I’m not entirely sure why I’m here or what God has planned, but I so ardently believe in those moments. The moments where you find out who you are. There isn’t just one part, there are a plethora of moments when you find out who you are. Those moments don’t have to be dramatic or so completely different, but they do have to be moments in which you make a decision as to the type of person that you want to become. So, I ask myself this semester, “Who do I want to become? How do I want to grow this semester? Who do I want to come back to America as?” These thoughts will fill my months, and I promise all of you, and those who don’t read my blog, you know who you are, that I am going to decide who I want to be in India, and I cannot wait to share that with my family back home.
To all of the people that I love, who are all of the people in my life basically, thank you so much for the support. I can genuinely say that I feel your thoughts, prayers, wishes, etc with me as I venture on this new experience. I promise to take hold of this new challenge and to flourish as much as I possibly can. Mom and dad, I love you so much. Thank you for allowing me to do this. I promise that it will be worth it, and I can’t wait to share all of my memories with you. Although I have a family here, you will never stop becoming my true family. And when you come to India, which you will, you will met Kakima and Kaka, and you will love them. Until next time everyone, Namaste!!
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