Best Decision I Ever Made

I would get up before the sunrise every morning and go to the river to watch the city come to life. I'd watch the holy men do yoga and greet the blazing Indian sun as it broke the horizon. I will have already had at least three clay cups of chai tea by the time I walked to school, navigating through the bustling rickshas and the slow moving cows. My school day was spent contextualizing our daily experiences and learning in-depth the complex concepts of Indian religions, women's studies, and the insanely useful Hindi language! After school I'd walk along the river, hang out with locals, do my own version of the real-life "Temple run," explored ancient structures and admired the monkeys climbing on the concrete jungle that was Varanasi. By evening time I would snuggle up with my host family, gossip about the biggest Bollywood stars, and watch the festival lights parade down the street from our window. This was the most difficult and rewarding experience of my life. You will be challenged in ways you never imagined, but every second is worth it.