Feel So Alive

Hypnotic

Last weekend, eight friends and I traveled to Agra, India to visit the world famous Taj Mahal. After a sleepy five-hour car ride (departing at 6 am) we arrived, and the images I have only seen in books, magazines and photo albums came to life. It’s rather difficult to articulate how absolutely stunning this monument is; the white marble gleams and the intricate details make your eyes wide and jaw drop. It was simply magnificent. While touring the Taj, I continued to think about how romantic the whole thing was; it is a mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. Although he was certainly a controversial figure, I couldn’t help but think that this wonder of the world represented much more than state of the art ancient architecture, it was an act of love.

My friends and I a full day of all things touristy in Agra and headed back to Delhi that evening. It was the 

closest to a road trip we’ve had; snacks, music, laughs and napping. Both the journey and the destination were equally significant for me that Saturday.

Hopeful

During a neighborhood day activity last week, my classmates and I explored an urban village outside of Delhi known as Aya Nagar. I chose to visit a nonprofit in the village called Jan Madyham. The organizations mission is to help young girls who are mentally and physically disabled to become self-sufficient and gain skill sets they have never been given the opportunity to receive. Some of the programs of the NGO include classes on cooking, pottery, sewing and “self-help.” The murals on the walls painted by the 52 young girls partaking in the program were thoughtful and beautiful. My heart was filled with both joy and sadness while at Jan Madyham; I was so happy to witness local people helping each other making their part of the world a better place. However, I was sad because these health problems are not unique to Delhi; so many people suffer from these same disabilities all over the world.  My visit to Jan Madyham strengthened the part of me that believes I want a career in helping people; whether on a local or larger scale, I would like to make an impact in making life better for people. I am hoping that through this experience on IHP I will gain more of a sense of what kind of people and through what channel I would like to make a difference.

IHP urges us to look with a critical eye at what we see going on in the city around us. There have been many moments where I feel the future looks unpromising based on the roles of particular actors in planning, politics and the economy. My visit to Jan Madyham made me feel genuinely hopeful for the future.  It enlightened and empowered me that if we have the desire, we can easily make a contribution to create a better world.

Heavy Heart 

For the last two weeks of our program in Delhi we have moved out of our homestays to stay in a hotel all together. Living together has been utterly enjoyable and so much fun. However, saying goodbye to Auntie was not an easy thing to do. Auntie Nalini was truly a blessing; she opened up her home so generously to Sam and me and cared for us like we were her own daughters. I felt such sincere love from her, and I believe she felt it from me too. We parted over a lovely farewell dinner where Auntie held my face and spoke sweetly to Sam and me; “May you live happy lives, may you have prosperity, and may you remember your Auntie loves you always.”

Holi

Holi: the festival of colors. The Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of good over evil. The colorful festival bridges the social gaps that are deeply ingrained in the city. It is essentially a day where the entire city shuts down for people to throw powdered colors at each other. It is also a day eat, drink, hug, laugh, dance and play. Manu’s daughter, Piya, invited a few friends and I to “play holi” at an amazing farmhouse outside of Delhi. The yard was covered in colors, as were the people. There is no event in the United States to compare this to, it was unlike anything I had ever done before, but it was fantastic. It was so freeing to just let my hair down and not care about the mess. It was a food fight of sorts, for the 20 million people of Delhi. We had such a blast, playing and dancing throughout the day.

Happy

As I reflect on my five weeks here in Delhi, the first word that comes to mind is happy. Happy about where I am, who I’m with, what I’m doing and why I’m here. I am looking at the world through a new lens, asking different questions and critically analyzing the answers. I am absorbing new knowledge about cities, people and myself. I feel like I am in the right place at the right time. I am taking with me a million impressions- of color, energy, care and hope. From dinner conversation with Auntie, to watching Vihar dance his heart out at CHETNA, to practicing yoga at sunrise, to dancing at a wedding, to visiting the Taj to gazing at the full moon on Holi, I have had the most incredible time here. I am both excited and nervous as we reach the second leg of our trip and travel to Dakar. I am feeling more confident in myself as a student, traveler and teammate than I did when I landed in Delhi, and I am excited to see how these new parts of me will show themselves as I adjust to an entirely new country and way of life. India will be tough to beat, but I am feeling very optimistic about the journey that lies ahead.

P.S. I am posting this entry from the airport in Dubai! What to do with a ten hour layover in Dubai from midnight to 10 am? A few friends and I took a taxi ride into the city for a drive through tour and ended at a public beach, dipping our toes in the Persian Gulf at 3 am! It was such a freeing moment, I felt so present and invigorated dancing by the edge of the ocean. Fiona, Jesse, Ashley, Sam and I sat on the sand and I lead a group meditation for a few minutes; it was thrilling yet so peaceful. As I walked on the beach with Ashley, I recited to her a line from one of my favorite songs; “Everybody dies but not everybody lives.” In that moment while inhaling the fresh ocean air, I felt so alive.

P.P.S. I am sorry I can't post pictures right now because the internet is too slow and all of my prompts on the screen are written in Arabic! I will add pictures to this post as soon as I can. My apologies!

I will write next from Dakar!

Namaste.

Lots of Love,

Rachel