OG Mind & Body:

One of the most impressionable 2 weeks of my life will be the time spent in northern India with Operation Groundswell. After traveling several times with a volunteer abroad organization over the years I was initially drawn to OG’s “traveling with a purpose” message as that is something I deeply resonate with. Then seeing that one of their programs was in India, a country I’ve dreamed about visiting since I was young, and that it incorporated the country’s rich traditional practices of yoga and meditation into the program, I knew that I was supposed to be on that trip. Over the course of those 2 weeks that feeling of synchronicity was justified time and again.

India is not a country that one can jump into lightly, I was challenged initially by the intense climate and pollution but more so by trying to understand the controversial societal norms surrounding gender and class that are deeply rooted in India’s culture.

One of the reasons that OG stands out among the many other volunteer abroad organizations is its dedication to focus on the participants growth of knowledge through experience of the country’s social, economic, political, and environmental challenges through direct involvement with NGOs they partner with. The partners we worked with and learned from gave such a personal insight into India’s challenging caste system that systematically leaves so many uneducated and in poverty. But the partners we worked with are actively striving to confront the unjust system and bring education and healthcare opportunities to those it’s been denied.

The second reason are the incredibly competent, open minded and hearted Program Leaders OG places in each program. My program had a few things go wrong that threatened the overall positive experience of the trip but what brought peace and security back to our group were our amazing PLs and their clear and focused problem solving abilities that always put the group’s safety and concerns first. The trip would surely not have been the same without our PLs and I have OG to thank for putting those truly incredible women in my life.

My favorite memory is of time I spent learning a Bollywood dance and performing it for the children at the organic farm we spent a week at near Rishikesh that gives refuge and education to children of India’s lowest caste.

Being in India those 2 weeks with some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met allowed me to be challenged and ultimately grow in ways that will affect the way I live as a global citizen and practice as a spiritual person for the rest of my life. For that I will always be grateful and will continue to recommend OG to those who are looking to join the “backpactivist” movement.

My only regret is that I did not stay longer.

-Treva Appugliese