Best summer ever

On this trip I had so much fun and I learned so much about the world and about myself. I often found that the hardest and most uncomfortable parts of the trip tended to lead right into the “quote book” moments. Those moments that you just have to write down because you know you never want to forget them. Like when everyone’s last pair of clean pants might have gotten covered in mud from rice planting but that didn’t stop us from singing pitch perfect riff-offs over milk tea right after. Or how I might not have been able to stand up all the way in my homestay house or speak the same language as my family but I had so much fun sitting on the ground building a puzzle with my didi and bhai.
I had the opportunity to experience so much on this trip and every experience taught me incredible lessons, but the most valuable things I learned were those shown to me by the incredible individuals I got to spend this month with. My instructors Shanti, Hemant, and Sushil taught me compassion. Dom and Hazel taught me to laugh at my mistakes and not take life too seriously. Mandira and my other homestay family members taught me that family is so much more than blood.
But with all that there is one lesson that really stuck with me. That life, every single moment, is what you make it. To live in the moment because nothing last forever and even the things that feel hard can become good memories.
If you’re thinking of doing a dragons trip, please do it! Just remember that every second doesn’t have to be comfortable and easy, and everything you do won’t be. So take a breath, laugh at those little mistakes you make, embrace the awkward, be yourself, make every moment count, and find your family. Take the jump, Dragon’s has your back, it’s so worth it!!