I wish I had more time in India. The people here are much friendlier than the average American and even though I have only had about a week and a half with my Indian counterparts, it feels like I have known them for years. They have invited me to their houses, out to dinner (Where they insisted on paying… Ugh) and out on the town. I’m not quite sure anyone was expecting this kind of chemistry. Although I have made promises to see many of my indian friends again, it is with great regret that I must face reality, there is a very good possibility I won’t. I will miss my new friends greatly and sincerely hope that they will make their way to the United States if they so chose. I have even promised some of them that I will be the first to greet them at the airport should they come to the States and that, is a promise I will keep. I have also begun making playlists of American music for some of my friends and I can only hope they will remember me when they listen to them. The last week or so has truly been like living in a fantasy world, the problems of my life have seemed to melt away into complete oblivion and my “other life” seems so far away. I have taken off my armor and I can not even imagine going back to my daily routine of homework followed by quiet reflection in the absence of company. Facing such a reality makes me depressed but I know that I must keep working  – for in America there is still a dream, a dream that anyone can make it if they try. That dream lives in me and drives me to the point of insanity, but to me it is everything. The dream that I can be something much more than I could ever imagine is why I wake up every morning and why I am willing to sacrifice everything for my personal success. I believe in the American Dream and that is why I am looking forward to going home. Leaving India is bittersweet, but It is time to strap on the armor again and go back to battle.

– Christopher R. F. Lentricchia