India Is An Inspiration

I absolutely love this trip to India; it made this summer the best summer ever. The whole schedule was really well developed. It was very packed everyday but it didn't make me feel overwhelmed. The idea of leadership was being carried out all the time.

Every morning, we would go to our placement. I was worrying about whether there would be too many people doing one single thing; however, the mentors kept each placement under six people. I chose to be a sports camp, and my team had only six people. Everyone had to contribute something; no one could sit there and do nothing. Every night, our mentor would discuss about the lesson plan with us. The first few days, my team was a little bit unorganized, but we put a tons of effort into collaborating with each other. I learnt so much about team work through out this experience.

Lunch and dinner were always my favorite part of the day. Our mentor Elise put so much effort into the meals. Everyday, we would have one western meal and one Hindu meal. We built a strong connection between the kitchen guys; they really cared about what we eat and our favor. In free time, me and my dorm mates loved to visit them and watch them cook. They would teach us about different spices and how to make good chai.

In the afternoon, we would go explore Dharmasala. The local mentors dig deep into this town and let us experience the culture in numerous ways. We visited a philosopher, who mind-blowed me and is still in contact with me, Dalai Lama's temple, a local feminist, a animal shelter, a fair-trade business, a Tibet medicine factory. I would never have chances to go to these exotic places and meet those amazing people on a normal trip.

Overall, this trip is definitely a five-star trip. I definitely want to go back.