Wow, I'm back in the United States. A big part of me feels like I never left, and I'm trying really hard to fight that. I don't want to feel like I never left because I intended India to leave an impact on me. So, I will make a list of things I realized and learned and discovered in India, hopefully forcing myself not to forget.
1. Toilet paper is completely unnecessary.
2. You don't have to know where anything is if a rickshaw driver is always taking you there.
3. Scarfs are very useful in keeping yourself cool. It seems like they should be used to keep warm, but when a scarf is on top of your head it keeps you very cool!
4. While on the metro train, I saw little boy after little boy hold onto the pole in the middle of the train and spin around it. No matter how hard you argue, all people are the same. Kids do the same things in India that they do in America. All people need food, shelter, to love, and be loved. The only reason they go about obtaining these things in different ways is because of different cultural expectations. ALL people are the same.
5. I know that God knows who I am and has a plan for me. I knew I was supposed to go to India, and I've begun to see his plan for me unravel before my eyes because I went where he wanted me to go.
6. God is more powerful than Satan.
7. You can find beauty in anything if you WANT to. If you have a sincere desire to like or love or favor something, chances are you will be able to adjust. I've seen volunteers in India honestly just hate the culture in India, but as I tried and tried to adjust, I was eventually successful. I started feeling adjusted the last 5-7 days of my trip, so I know now that I need about a month to adjust. By "adjusted" I mean I started liking the sounds and smells and things that originally overwhelmed me. Markets were still pretty overwhelming at the end of my trip, though. That is something that will take some getting used to, honestly.
8. Soft beds and chairs are unnecessary.
9. Indian people have a talent for falling asleep anywhere, it seems. I wish I could fall asleep on a marble floor!
10. Monetary value is all relative. When an orphanage is built out of marble, you know you must be somewhere other than Hillsboro, Oregon. Marble and some precious gems are so much easier to come by there, while they are luxury items here.
11. Culture shock will go away with time if you want it to. If you don't want to change yourself to fit into the culture you will probably never adjust. I met a girl who had been in India for a year and she told me she, "never really adjusted." I'm sorry to say, but that was 100% her own fault. Learning how to adjust is pretty important if you want to not be constantly stressed out and hating your life.
12. Dress up just because! Traditional Indian dress is so beautiful, and they wear clothes like that so often, not just for special occasions. Sushma told me that henna means happiness - so you decorate things when you are happy, specifically yourself. I find that when I'm happier I put more effort into looking good anyways. Indians have that figured out! Put effort into how you look, and you feel a little more confident I think.
13. Most importantly, I learned that I can do this whole travel thing. And I'm so glad that I know that now! I don't like 8-hour flights a whole lot, but I can find ways to entertain myself. It's not a big deal, really. I like meeting new people, I like going new places, and I like witnessing exquisite examples of beauty. I like learning about cultures and why people do the things they do. I definitely will pursue anthropology.
1. Toilet paper is completely unnecessary.
2. You don't have to know where anything is if a rickshaw driver is always taking you there.
3. Scarfs are very useful in keeping yourself cool. It seems like they should be used to keep warm, but when a scarf is on top of your head it keeps you very cool!
4. While on the metro train, I saw little boy after little boy hold onto the pole in the middle of the train and spin around it. No matter how hard you argue, all people are the same. Kids do the same things in India that they do in America. All people need food, shelter, to love, and be loved. The only reason they go about obtaining these things in different ways is because of different cultural expectations. ALL people are the same.
5. I know that God knows who I am and has a plan for me. I knew I was supposed to go to India, and I've begun to see his plan for me unravel before my eyes because I went where he wanted me to go.
6. God is more powerful than Satan.
7. You can find beauty in anything if you WANT to. If you have a sincere desire to like or love or favor something, chances are you will be able to adjust. I've seen volunteers in India honestly just hate the culture in India, but as I tried and tried to adjust, I was eventually successful. I started feeling adjusted the last 5-7 days of my trip, so I know now that I need about a month to adjust. By "adjusted" I mean I started liking the sounds and smells and things that originally overwhelmed me. Markets were still pretty overwhelming at the end of my trip, though. That is something that will take some getting used to, honestly.
8. Soft beds and chairs are unnecessary.
9. Indian people have a talent for falling asleep anywhere, it seems. I wish I could fall asleep on a marble floor!
10. Monetary value is all relative. When an orphanage is built out of marble, you know you must be somewhere other than Hillsboro, Oregon. Marble and some precious gems are so much easier to come by there, while they are luxury items here.
11. Culture shock will go away with time if you want it to. If you don't want to change yourself to fit into the culture you will probably never adjust. I met a girl who had been in India for a year and she told me she, "never really adjusted." I'm sorry to say, but that was 100% her own fault. Learning how to adjust is pretty important if you want to not be constantly stressed out and hating your life.
12. Dress up just because! Traditional Indian dress is so beautiful, and they wear clothes like that so often, not just for special occasions. Sushma told me that henna means happiness - so you decorate things when you are happy, specifically yourself. I find that when I'm happier I put more effort into looking good anyways. Indians have that figured out! Put effort into how you look, and you feel a little more confident I think.
13. Most importantly, I learned that I can do this whole travel thing. And I'm so glad that I know that now! I don't like 8-hour flights a whole lot, but I can find ways to entertain myself. It's not a big deal, really. I like meeting new people, I like going new places, and I like witnessing exquisite examples of beauty. I like learning about cultures and why people do the things they do. I definitely will pursue anthropology.
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