My favorite day by far has been this past Sunday. We were free to roam about since there were no classes that day. A group of us decided we wanted to go visit an orphanage. So we went to the mall and grabbed some small toys we could gift to the kids. In total the gifts might have been $100 in the United States. The money felt like nothing compared to the experience of actually going over to the orphanage and playing with these kids. It was priceless. The orphanage was all girls between 0-18 years of age who have been abused, neglected, or simply have no one who can take responsibility for them at that time. There was over 100 girls enrolled. When we arrived they performed a traditional indian dance as well as sang some kannada songs.

That night we celebrated Neha’s birthday, one of the indian students here. We went to this place called “The Hilltop” where you can see the whole city of Hubli. After the celebration, Neha took me to her house where her mom was more than welcoming. Although she did not understand english, we found a way to communicate. She forced me into a sari.

The next night, we celebrated my birthday at 12am. It was my 21st birthday. It was my first time celebrating my birthday away from my family and my twin sister. Everyone was so sweet. I received a cake although most of it ended up in my face. I also received many gifts from friends. Even though I had just met these people, it feels like i’ve known everyone for years. This has definitely been my favorite birthday regardless of being away from my family.