So I got an email this morning from the Visa service I am using to get my Indian visa. They ahve all of my stuff and hopefully my passport + visa will be sent to my house on June 7... exactly a month before I leave for 5 months on my study abroad program. Woah.
Backing up...
I'd say around 3 years ago, I decided I definitely wanted to go to India when I studied abroad in college. I already knew I would study abroad, no matter what - my mom and dad had told me that was imperative. But, I've lived and I guess "studied" abroad in elementary school. I've been to most of Europe, and while that tends to be the most popular destination for study abroad students (especially at my school) it didn't seem all that exciting to me for some reason. Maybe because I'd rather go back and indefinitely live in Europe rather than have a time set on it.
So, what was as far from Europe (and the East Coast of the US) that I could think of? India.
Also, there's this really silly story which truly shows my thought process for some things: I was really sick with the stomach flu about 3 years ago in January, sick to the point where moving made me vomit. So, i sat on the couch with the TV stuck on movie channels. And I watched the movie Bride and Prejudice like three times that day. Now, I was probably slightly out of it from fevers and lack of food and water, and as far as Bollywood goes, an adaptation of a Jane Austen novel is probably not the best portrayal of India, but as I watched the movie I more and more felt the need to go there. Somehow this vague desire and college applications and my deeply ingrained wanderlust combined in my head so that I was set on it.
And here I am, at the end of my sophomore year, mailing out visa applications and looking at the University of Hyderabad on Google Earth, having my mind blown thinking that in a month and a half I WILL BE THERE.
4 weeks ago
