Incredible India
So. Many. People. There are the three words that sum up my biggest realization for my trip so far. With a population of around 1.6 billion people, India boasts an enormous amount of citizens. But even being told this, you don’t truly grasp the concept until you’re surrounded by so many humans. My biggest take away so far is how conceited and naïve I’ve been in my life up to this point. It’s easy to think your life is meant to be some...
Before
I’m currently a week away from the daunting flight that will take me to India. I keep glancing at my luggage, still debating on whether I’ve packed too much or too little. I guess in my next post I’ll be able to update you on that specific question… still not sure which one would be better. As I’m packed and ready to go, I’m thinking about how I got myself involved in a trip all the way to Asia. I would say I just kind of heard of the...
In Retrospect
Exposure is a tricky thing. Exposure to the western world and it’s ideas, products, and way of life has always seemed like a beneficial thing in my eyes. Who wouldn’t want what we have? Who wouldn’t want to have access to everything we do? The healthcare, the free market, the education, the distractions? Seriously, if I didn’t have Game of Thrones I believe I might be lost. I am still convinced that everyone needs to have access to...
Returning to the USA
Getting back home was a bit of an adventure. My flight was delayed 2.5 hours, causing me to almost miss my connection back to New York. By some miracle, I made it through customs in Dublin and boarded my plane. Upon arrival I was exhausted, and shocked at just how different things were back home. The main thing being air conditioning/circulation and readjusting to less daylight. Aside from the rush of delayed flights and jet lag,...
Abroad in Belize
Academics: This trip is a little unconventional because it is more of a field-study set up. We are doing research projects that require us to snorkel. My group is observing the behaviors of one species of fish – Sergeant Majors. This is a small-scale ecological study. It gives us a basic idea of the health of the reef because if the Sergeant Majors are not behaving normally, it indicates a larger problem in the reef’s ecosystem. We do...
UA in China: Visiting a Chinese Family
Our professor instructed my group of four students to be in the lobby of the hotel by 11am for a local family visit. With no information about the family, where we were going, or what we would be doing I anxiously got ready for the day hoping to make a good first impression. The only thing that we knew for certain was that the family spoke very little English. A fact that our professor emphasized when we pressed for details about the...