Mothers Day Reunion and Running Out Of Time

Well this was my blog from 3 days ago. I couldn't get my internet to work before I left for Hyderabad (I arrived back last night!) so I couldn't upload it. So I have this blog finally up and hopefully tomorrow I'll have one about my trip to Hyderabad!

When I returned from Manali I wrote a blog which ended up being so long that it became two blogs. One chronicled my adventures hiking and the other was about my feelings with only having exactly a month left. Well I procrastinated and I was legitimately busy (you'll find out why below!) so now I have even less. I'll leave Mumbai on June 5 so counting today I have 14 days in India. It's not a very nice anniversary, but it'll have to do. The thought of leaving conjures up a lot of different feelings, but I'll do my best to break it down.

 

First though, some happy news! My mom visited me! She arrived a week ago and left yesterday, so it was a quick trip. We had an amazing time and I loved having her here. Mostly I showed her around Pune and spent time with my friends and family here so that she could meet them. We also went to Aurangabad for 2 days. It's only about a 5 hour drive from Pune and has some amazing caves, but I hadn't been there either (we had a rotary trip organized for December but it never happened). The drive ended up being really tiring so we mostly rested. Here are some of the sights we saw:

A beautiful market in Pune

Daulatabad:
This was a fort just outside Aurangabad. It was reasonably interesting but the climb up to it was difficult in the heat. We tried to get a guide but it was pretty expensive and unfortunately we had a miscommunication with our driver, who spoke very little English, and he led us to believe that he could explain everything to us. Turns out he couldn't, but my mom and I had fun together. There was an especially memorable part in which we had to go through a dark hallway with lots of uneven staircases. Back when the fort was in use this hallway was used to confuse any invaders. There was absolutely no light in it, it smelled gross and there ended up being lots and lots of bats on the ceiling. When we emerged though, there was an absolute incredible view of the valley below.

My mom being adorable

An amazing view!!

Bibi Ka Maqbara:

This was basically a tomb inspired by the Taj Mahal. It's been pitched as a "mini Taj Mahal" but honestly it's nothing like it. It' looks similar but as you can see from the pictures there's sort of nothing impressive about it. It was actually kind of sad to be honest. From a distance, like in the picture, it looked pretty good, but going up to I was more disappointed. It hasn't been maintained super well and it just really compares in no way to the real Taj Mahal. But, from a distance it definitely looked good.

An amazing door

The not so replica Taj

When we returned to the hotel we were exhausted. So we ordered pizza, I watched a movie and we went to bed early. The next morning we slept in and decided it was better to have a shorter day and go just the half hour to Ellora rather than the two hours to Ajanta. Ajanta is known as the better one, it's older and has ancient Buddhist paintings. Because it was undiscovered until the 19th century it's much better preserved. Ellora looked really interesting too though. It has Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves and has more carvings than paintings. Here we booked a guide to show us around. My camera had died so I didn't get any pictures of it unfortunately. It was really interesting though! Our guide was very informative and I learned a lot that I didn't know beforehand.

After this little two day trip we headed back to Pune. We only had a few days and but it was really fun because I got to go shopping a lot with my mom! With Catherine and my dad it was more difficult since my dad wasn't very interested and we were all tired from traveling so much. But with my mom I really enjoyed picking out presents for people. I won't say what any are but I'm excited for when I get back. It'll be like a mini Christmas with me as Santa!

While on the trip we talked a lot about going home and our last few weeks together. It was pretty bittersweet because two students (Peter from France and Leon from Germany) have now left. We knew that it was really our last time with them for a few years at least – yes, we're already planning reunions!) In the past our whole group (roughly 16 students) has been kind of divided. Although we're all friends we're closer with some than others and there’s two pretty distinct groups. I think this last trip was especially enjoyable because we all spent more time together. While hiking we talked about lots of things. Towards the end I remember reminiscing about friends and people at home as well as discussing which food we missed the most (for the record: my mom's meatloaf and pasta, BaPa's steak and malts, GG's pancakes and Cathy's brownies). 

Sometimes I feel so ready to just go home. I'm mentally prepared but I still have a couple of weeks of waiting to do. I've had an amazing 9 months but I have a lot waiting for me at home. This summer I'll be working a bunch at Camp Icaghowan and I'm super excited for it and especially to reconnect with old friends. I'm also officially attending Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. I couldn't be more excited and I'm really looking forward to it. In addition to all this I have seeing my wonderful family and friends and eating all the food I've missed and visiting all my favorite Minneapolis landmarks. It’s not that I’m not loving it here or that I’m homesick. I know that at some point this year will end and while my time here has been incredible and while I do look forward to the next few weeks I’m also ready to go home. I have a lot waiting for me there and I’m excited to share my experience and all that I’ve learned with everyone back in the US.

But at other times I don't want to leave at all. I love my family and friends here so much and it's going to be really hard to be away from them. Luckily for my next 2 weeks I'll be pretty busy. I just arrived back from Hyderabad with my amazing host mother. I had gone to see my good friend Rachael who was on exchange Minnesota last year. And now I'm down to the wire with almost no time left. These two weeks will probably be visiting my favorite places and frantically trying to pack the incredible amount of belongings I've accumulated over 9 months. I only have a little time left in India and I plan on making the best of it.

I have to end on a sentimental and cheesy note. Almost two weeks ago I went out to lunch with a bunch of the other exchange students. We met Bruno, his parents and his aunt and uncle. Though they didn't speak very much English we entertained them with variations of the little swearing in Portuguese we've all picked up. As we were leaving his family gave us huge hugs and kissed all of us on the cheek (something, which after 9 months with a bunch of Latinos I also do now). Then in very broken English his parents told us that we simply must come to Brazil and that their house was open to us. I can't really communicate how happy and warm it made me feel. Even just thinking about it now makes me smile a bunch. 

THIS is what I have gone on exchange for. To make connections around the world. To build friendship and relationships and have an international family. To know that all I need is a plane ticket to Mexico or Sweden or Brazil or India and know that I have a place there where I will be welcomed. Not only have I learned about myself this year but I have learned so much about the world around me. In particular Indian culture, but also the perspective of my fellow exchange students. When I think about how I don't have quite as many close Indian friends as I had expected I remind myself that I would never exchange the best friends I have made in the other exchange students for anyone else. (And, for the record, the Indian friends that I have made I feel that I have really made a connection with.) My exchange year has been a little unorthodox (hello never having or going to school) but it has been an amazing experience. I can only look back on it with fond and hilarious and amazing and exciting memories and stories.