On the bookshelf facing my bed is a book which title reads, “India File”. Staring me down all summer, its title serves as a constant reminder not only of the trip I will embark on in 19 days, but the somehow former me which purchased the book early in my freshman year of college. The Bob Marley calendar hanging in my room is firmly tacked to the month of July, I haven’t yet found the courage to flip the page to the month of August (or maybe I’m just reveling in the fact that my birthday month proves me no longer a teenager). To cut to the chase,
I will be studying abroad in the both enormously populated and ever-sprawling city of Delhi, India. I’ll arrive in the city on August 31st and spend the next three and a half months living, learning and speaking (hindi eventually, I hope!) with 20 other students from the states and the 15.9 million or so residents of Delhi. Our first six weeks in the city will include intensive hindi study and national identity coursework while residing with a local family. In addition to traditional classwork we’ll be traveling to various historical and religious sites in the north and northeast. I wont deny that my inner nerd jumps with excitement at the thought of the final month and a half of the program which allows me to travel through India researching an independent study project of my own design (I’ll leave an entire blog post to its subject once I have more concrete details).
With so little time left before I leave my trip has started to feel increasingly a reality instead of a long imagined and desired dream. While I know I will long for the familiar faces, classrooms and less extreme environs of Williamsburg and William and Mary itself I am decidely excited about the fall. I will attempt to update this blog (which, by the way, is thanks to Tom MacWright and his incredible design skills) as often as possible and would strongly encourage and appreciate suggestions of topics/events/ideas about which I could blog or consider (amyoung11@gmail). Thanks in advance for reading, I can’t tell you how much it will mean for me to be able to share my experiences with you all.
