I sit in the Delhi airport with a bittersweet coffee. I use that adjective both to describe the abnormal amount of sugar that is customarily dumped in with the espresso beans here, and because I know that it will be my last coffee in India for some time. Seeing friends, family, snow and broadcasted sports is the sugar in my coffee. Leaving my new friends, my Indian family, the travel opportunities and the culture is the tart beans.
I have expressed to several people in recent days that I feel three months is a very awkward time to stay in a place. If you were to stay one month, you would get a taste of the true culture, you would meet some nice people, you would see the sights, and then you would leave. In six months, you will have comfortably established your life, assimilated into the culture, created long lasting relationships with people, and have felt as though you lived in that place rather than visited. Three months is somewhere awkwardly in between – a pseudo commitment, like the one sided hug, halfway in between the casual briefness of a handshake and the commitment of a vulnerable embrace. This has just recently become like my home. I know how much to pay for auto rides. I know where to shop, what to eat and could efficiently plan a sightseeing trip for someone who visits for a short time. The apartment I was staying in went from a relatively bare place, with nothing on the walls and no food in the fridge, to a homey place with pictures hung and fresh veggies in the crisper. Most of my relationships with the people I have met lie awkwardly in that stage between casual friends and really close friends that I know for sure I would travel to see. It all just feels incomplete, and I think it is for this reason that I struggled so much leaving Tanzania the first time – another three-month adventure.
A great deal of comfort lies in the fact that I know I’ll be back. I really fell in love with India, and there is so much to see still. During my time here I was able to travel quite a bit, but really only covered the Northwest quarter. There are places I need to come back to, and places in other parts I need to see. The only question that remains is WHEN I will return… I guess I should start buying lottery tickets. ☺
Another comfort is the fact that my time working for PHFI is not coming to an end. I was able to rearrange my course schedule this coming term so that I am taking a 6-unit independent project course, in which I can complete my research. My project has provided me with unbelievable learning opportunities and opportunities for advancement in my career path. It has been made quite clear to me by some important people that my project is going to become a big thing, and for this, I am indebted to my supervisors at PHFI for providing me, and trusting me with such a great opportunity. Thank you.
I am thankful for all that made this amazing experience possible, both those at home and those here. A very smart person told me once that you shouldn’t mourn over short-term relationships. Some people are meant to be in your life for a long time, some people are meant to be there only briefly. However, that doesn’t mean that they cannot have just as profound of an effect on you. You should celebrate that relationship for what it was; for all that it gave you, and marvel at the fact that in such a short time, their mark was forever made. And so I leave India very much subscribing to that belief. What a marvelous cup of coffee.
No comments:
Post a Comment