Northern India 2017: "Service In The Clouds" & "Indian Wildlife Conservation"

I had grown up in the same small town in Northern Phoenix, Arizona my entire life. Ever since I was very young I was infatuated with the idea of travelling the world, but never got the opportunity until Rustic Pathways visited my school. I was absolutely in love with the whole idea of this company and everything they stood for. I then made the decision to leave the United States for the first time in my 16 years on earth to experience the beautifully, ever-changing country of India as a first generation traveller. Little did I know how how life-changing these next three weeks would be in Delhi, Mcleodganj, Balla, and Agra.

As we made our way up to the Himalayan mountain range is was absolutely breathtaking to watch the landscape change from bustling city to rolling hills and then grand mountains. There was one time when we were in Mcleodganj in the city center and everything turned completely white and I had no idea what was going on. You could not see anything at all and it turns out we were actually in a cloud! I don't know if that was just me but that was so amazing. I think the best part was the actual service though. Working with elephants and sloth bears on "Indian Wildlife Conservation" was incredible. We work so closely with the elephants and they are incredibly gentle creatures and amazing to observe. And on "Service In The Clouds" one of the service projects we did was working at a school named LHA. We held english conversations with Tibetan Refugees who were all adults over 18 years of age. My partner and I developed a unique bond by the end of the program that I still have not taken the necklace that she gave me off. There was one day where we got to leave the school to explore a unique part of the city with our partners. My partner actually took me to the Dalai Lama's Temple. She was so so excited to bring me here and had so much to say about the temple. I could definitely tell the place was special to her and it was so amazing to share that unique experience with the locals.

While there are so many fun experiences on Rustic Pathways programs, safety is also a huge thing to consider when coming to any country. As a student who had never left the United States or travelled much, I felt completely safe the entire trip while under the care of the Rustic Pathways staff. While India is not a country for the faint of heart, it certainly is possible for first time travellers with the will! There were actually many times in the beginning when I felt out of place or like I wasn't making friends, but the leaders always make you feel included. One of my leaders actually noticed that I was having trouble getting included so he made sure to bring me into conversations subtly to where by the end of the week I was talking so much more and felt way more comfortable around everyone. All of my leaders were also really good in emergency situations. While in Balla, 12 out of 15 of the students on my trip got super sick. I think it was the stomach flu, but for 24 hours straight 12 people were vomiting and 3 ended up going to the hospital. Sickness is just a part of travelling that sometimes you just can't avoid, but luckily I never got sick personally during my stay in India. And even while the leaders were taking amazing care of everyone who was sick, they still took the time to check in on those few of us who were still doing well. And I would love to give my leaders a huge shout out because they were absolutely amazing and deserve all the recognition in the world.

The Rustic Pathways staff is amazing. Thank you so much for everything Beth, Michael, and Coco. So here I leave India with long-lasting friends and memories I'll never forget. So with that I encourage others who have the chance to take a Rustic Pathways trip because it's an amazing educational experience you'll never forget and I swear you won't regret it.

Namaste,
Jenna