A Unique Experience

India is one of the most unique and interesting cultures I have experienced, and I wouldn't change anything about my time there. The best part is meeting the native students - they helped us to really integrate and understand what life in India truly is like. Although the process of getting a visa to study there and obtaining a residential permit once you arrive is frustrating and complicated, it was worth every minute to have the chance to live there and try something totally outside my comfort zone. Perhaps the most challenging aspect is understanding what it means to stand out and feel like you are being discriminated against and misunderstood. It's an experience that most Americans don't have in their lifetime, and I became so much more aware after being on the other side of such a situation. I was taking a service learning course, and this also really helped to open my eyes to what is going on in India and some of the challenges that people there are facing.