In a country where your family, religion, and economic level define everything you are, I think everyone on my program has faced challenges with their own identities during our time here. As Americans, I think we focus a lot on how we make a name for ourselves as individuals, regardless of where are parents come from, where we were born, etc. But, I think where you come from has a lot to say about who you are and what what path through life will look like. Your pivotal formative years and how you interpret the world all originate from the place, the people, and the things you grew up with. Every experience in your life has a purpose and will, in some form, serve you down the line whether you notice it or not.
I spoke with a girl who lived 4 hours away from Pune, who had never seen a computer before in her life, and who came to the city to pursue greater education and work opportunities. We talked about our likes, dislikes, what made us laugh, and our family values. After speaking with her, I realized we had so much in common and could easily relate to one another. A girl from Miami and a girl from a rural village in Maharashtra shared similar interests, fears, and aspirations. And, I think this has a lot to say about how we interact with people. We focus so much on what makes us different from one another but, what we never think about, is how freakishly similar we are to each other. We are so busy concentrating on ourselves that we forget how much we can learn from other people.
I think leaving this warm and unified community will be the hardest part about leaving. Leaving the family values and morals that I have lived with and embraced during my time here will definitely be a challenge. The bonds I have made here are incomparable and the things that I prioritized in my life before, are now at the bottom of list. India has also made some amendments to how I previously defined myself. I appreciate spirituality more and would like to find more of that in myself. I learned that feeling beautiful has nothing to do with how you look on the exterior. I learned how to understand people and be patient with them. And, I learned that the people who have the least, are usually the ones who give the most. Hopefully, the power of technology can keep me in touch with my community abroad and I hope to channel that same community feeling on campus. Maybe through meeting new people, trying new things, and constantly doing something different.