There are only 3 days until I leave which only means one thing.... packing. Minus my lap top, documents (passport / acceptance letters), sneakers, and back pack this is everything I am bringing. I am usually a chronic over-packer but this time I think I have finally broken the habit. Yup, this is it, just about everything that I will own for the next 5 months of my life. (Of course I am sure to stock up on lots of Indian garb as soon as I arrive. Kurtas & Saris, yes please!) But I think that the fact that I am finally leaving is starting to hit me hard. I guess the reality check came two days ago during a family party when I had to say goodbye to my dad, step mom, & two younger brothers. I won't be seeing them until Thanksgiving which seems to be light years away. I wonder who I am going to be when that time comes around? Hopefully someone not too different from who I am now. However, I hope to be someone with a greater understanding of myself and the world around me.
Speaking of hopes for this trip, what a perfect opportunity to list out some goals for the next 5 months in order to keep myself accountable and focused during my time abroad.
GOALS
1. To accept that I am an outsider/ embrace the culture. It is inevitable that I will experience a huge culture shock upon my arrival in India. Adapting to a culture that is so different from my own is going to be a huge challenge. As an American, I value my independence, but while in India I am hoping to conform to a new culture where group autonomy is stressed and as a result be accepted by the people. I am going to see a lot of things I disagree with but need to step back and realize that I am a guest in this country and my opinion may not be the one held by the majority.
2. Keep an open mind and heart. It sounds cliche, but I think will be one of the hardest things for me. This goal reinforces part of the first goal above. It will be challenging to see human suffering on a day to day basis but I need to keep an open mind on how this country is dealing with these issues. There is a lot under the surface that I probably don't understand and probably never will. I am predicting that my heart will break multiple times at the realities of poverty in Chennai and that my morals will be tested. I need to stay open and ready to learn and I will grow as a result.
3. Immerse myself and absorb as much information I can about India. In other words, be a sponge. I must take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. I should spend as much time as I can with natives and take it all in. I must explore and surrender myself to the many sights, smells, and flavors of Chennai. I need to find a way to connect to those in field placement and in the hospital I will be volunteering at.
4. Learn my tolerance for human suffering. It is no secret that India is a third-world country and that, once in Chennai, I will be facing poverty of catastrophic levels. Once a graduate with my OT degree, I am hoping to work with people, specifically woman, in poverty. I am hoping that seeing an abundance of poverty first hand will strengthen what I believe is my life path even further. My fieldwork experience will give me the insight to see if I can do this type of work for the rest of my life, if I can tolerate a job where my heart will be broken from injustices.
5. Apply what I learn in India back home. I am sure while in India I will gain new perspectives on issues of poverty, gender roles, and politics. I want to come back home and apply what I learn to my own community. I want to learn how to produce change on a large scale, and figure out what needs to be changed in order for our world to be a little better. While in India I will be working with these issues head on and taking classes that will help me accomplish these things.
6. Broaden my knowledge and appreciation for the world. I have spent the majority of my life in a small town in NH with little to no diversity. I was hoping to push myself a little further by going to school 8 hours away only to find myself surrounded by people with similar backgrounds as my own. I am hoping to connect with people completely different then me, (race, religion, customs, etc) and make cross-cultural friendships. I want to understand what it is like to be a minority (which I will soon be) and take that information to better understand myself and others.
7. Have fun!! It seems obvious, but it needed to be documented. It is not every day where I find myself with the opportunity to live in another country drastically different then the U.S. I know that I want to soak up as much as I can from this experience and learn a lot, but I need to remember that it is my "vacation semester". NO MORE ANATOMY! I have been looking forward to this for a long time so it is time to enjoy myself, relax, and live in the moment.
READERS BACK HOME:
Remind me to stick to these goals, ask me about them, pester me if you have to.
Keep me accountable.
Well, time to go to a goodbye lunch with my mom, Fritz? Yummm.
Thanks for reading, you guys are the best :)
xoxo,
B
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