Dinner at the Hans Hotel on January 2. From left to right: Jonathan, Mya, Patrick, Jacqueline, Ashwin, Ronak, Sahil, Abbey, Chris, Sean, Hannah, Mike, Kanmani, Nadine and Connor.

Since arriving on December 29, students were busy with class sessions, projects, exercises and getting to know India and new friends. Also celebrating the New Year in a unique way! So, a time off to enjoy a more relaxing and delicious indian cuisines. Also, share their to-date experiences with faculty and other students. Some liked it very hot (like Sean) and some liked it mild (like Abbey), but all enjoyed and had fun. A big day January 3, visiting Akshya Patra, The Kitchen serving almost 200K children each day 365 days a year!

     Finally, after months of anticipation, it was time to leave for India. I arrived in the airport with an excited and nervous feeling. I still did not know many of the students that well yet so I was nervous that we may not clique or get along. Fortunately enough, we all immediately felt like family. It was only a few hours in but I felt as if I knew the other students for weeks already. This feeling of relief made me a little less nervous to fly which was good because I have never taken a flight that long before. However, the flights went by super fast and easy. Once we arrived in Hubli, we took a bus over to KLE. Immediately I felt amazing and full of pure joy. I did not sit the whole bus ride and all of us were up at the windows waving too everyone we saw on the streets. People were smiling and waving back and I have never felt a more warming feeling. I could not recall a time that I had felt that happy and excited for the future. We then arrived at KLE and the campus was beautiful! It was a sort of odd feeling at first that all the natives were staring at us Americans, but we got used to it. Running on barely any sleep, we were all so excited to walk around the campus and explore.

     The campus and the buildings are all so beautiful to me. I am overwhelmed with all this happiness and excitement that I am already sad that I have to leave in a few weeks. The American students are all so close but I was very excited to meet the other students as well. Just like how us Americans got attached quickly, it was the same for the other students. I already feel like we have all been classmates and friends for years. It’s actually devastating to me that I will have to leave them and probably never be able to come back. I am trying not to think of the sad parts and focussing on the happy parts though. The classes are a lot more interesting than I anticipated because I thought they would be long but time goes by so fast when I am enjoying the class.

     Last night was the New Years celebration and it was the best one I have ever had in my life. We played musical chairs and the first game i came second, and the second game the final two was me and the same girl who beat me last time. This time I actually won! After two back to back games of dancing in circles, I was out of breath and ready to sleep but I needed to stay up till midnight of course! It was such a humbling experience and I cannot explain the joy that I have felt every minute of every day that I have been here. I never want to go back home!