10 Months Down, 6 Days to Go

So I know that I still haven't put up my blog on Hyderabad but I've been pretty busy since I only have a little time left now. I'll try to get to it before I leave but in the meantime here's a short blog about my feelings with leaving Pune and my year coming to an end. Just as my title says, it's been exactly 10 months since I arrived in India and I have just 6 days before I leave.

Thinking of leaving Pune makes me so sad. My life is here. I have family and friends and restaurants and stores and memories and just, I have a whole life that I've built here. I don't want to leave that. But when I really think about it it, that's what it was like before I left. I was really worried about leaving all this incredible happiness that I had accumulated over my life in Edina. The thought of going to a new place that I didn't know that much about was really scary. And at first it was difficult here but I adjusted and tried new things and grew and matured and made new memories here. And now I don't want to leave that, even if I'm also excited for my future at Mount Holyoke College. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is a constant cycle of change through life. We move from place to place, building lives and meeting people and making memories until we must move on. It's not fun to leave these lives, but we can always return to them to visit. And we will always have the memories and people. And the people who hang with you through all this change are the real friends and the true companions of life. I have had the absolute greatest year this year. At times it's been less than perfect and of course I have a few regrets, but when I look at the year as a whole - all that I've experienced and learned and tried and seen and done - I'm astounded. Exchange is without a doubt a painful experience. For most it's the adjustment to the host country, but for me I know it will definitely be the adjustment to home. I've questioned at times if it was all worth it to go through the sadness and awkwardness. I'll go back to the US and be away from my best friends and have the awkwardness of renewing friendships from before and reconnecting with people. I have no idea what it will be like but from everything I've heard it's a difficult experience and one I'm not excited for. But would I go back and have a normal senior year and miss these 10 incredible months in India? Absolutely no way.

Here's a preview of me and Rachael!.