I am nearing the end of my third week here in India.
These last three weeks have been nothing but eye-opening and phenomenal. I feel like words can’t describe the things I’ve felt and the struggles and victories I’ve had. It’s an experience one has to go through to know the ups and downs. Traveling alone is already a feat in itself, but navigating and stepping outside the realm of one’s comfort is another. I can say that I’ve learned a lot about myself being here as well as the culture I’ve immersed myself in. Although it’s foreign, there are aspects of India that feels like home.
Maybe it’s the smell of the dirt roads in Delhi, or the make-shift homes along the streets in Kolkata, or the street-side shops and stalls along the majority of the city streets, or maybe it is the children laughing and playing throughout that makes it feel so much like home. Aside from the main reasons for research here in India, this trip has proved to be a soul-searching journey to find out what the meaning of home is, how is it conceived, perceived, and maintained?
Being here sparks my memories of being in Ban Vinai, a refugee camp in Thailand, where I was born. Though I was only four when my family arrived in the United States, I have very vivid memories of my time in Thailand, from my grandmother and mother’s street stall, to the dirt roads and make-shift homes, and memories of playing with my siblings. For me, India has felt more like home than any of the other places I’ve traveled to.
With India feeling like home, it has really helped me move forward in what seemed like a idle situation with my research on prevention of trafficking and exploitation of youth in India. I was able to relate much closer and feel like I belonged here and was really doing something for people who became much closer than what I realized. Living and seeing life in all forms in Delhi and Kolkata has really transformed my mind and thinking about the issue.
India is so rich in culture and history. The more time I spend here, the more I am starting to realize that India, for me, is the melting pot of the East. There is such a mix of people from different backgrounds and the people I’ve met speak several languages. Once you get past the initial physical aspects of India, there is so much to fall in love with. Every place has its struggles, but every place has its own unique beauty and richness.
Home has never felt so close.