Beauty in unexpected places

Operation Groundswell's India: Gender and Religion trip was phenomenal. I went there with the expectation to learn things beyond what I could get from a classroom, university education. I ended up getting that, and then some. The trip is still something I've reflected on almost every day since. Whether it's remembering my amazing group members & program leaders, or remembering the individuals and organizations I got to connect with, to stray dogs I wish I could've taken home with me and to moments where I struggled, but can now laugh about. India is a an amazing, complex country, and as one of my group members put it, you will see stunning imagery in the same frame as something heartbreaking...but it is so worth it. And I would love to go back someday.
As for day to day experiences, our group leaders put together a pretty thorough itinerary which consisted of things like consistently meeting/volunteering with local organizations, going for sunset boat rides and sunrise walks along the ghats in Varanasi, hiking up the foothills of the Himalayas, checking out the delicious curries and treats in local restaurants, and meeting His Holiness the 17th Karmapa (no big deal)!

There were so many highlights from the trip, honestly it's tough to pin down one, or even just a few. Definitely Dharamshala in the Himalaya's was a huge highlight for me, I loved the Tibetan Buddhist influence and learning from local Tibetan organizations was certainly something I found incredibly fascinating to be able to do. Sleeping under the stars was also tops. On one of the nights we slept under the stars, we were in a rural farming area outside of Varanasi, and we had the chance to fall asleep to Hindu prayer chants and hand drums being played all night long from a near by village. And to add one more, our sunrise dip in the Ganga River was the perfect, icy way to cool off from a humid sleep.

As for difficulties...the heat is absolutely a drag. But I found with that, you drink lots of water and it's all about mind over matter...and learning to embrace the grunge life. Especially when you're cramped up on a bus for nearly 30 hours. But these are the kinds of stories you get to humblebrag about to your friends at the bar when you get home later.

It'll definitely be an experience you carry with you for a lifetime.