Traveler's Log: Days 21-24

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I feel like my trip here has been the opposite of what you may expect such a trip to be. Typically, you would expect some grand experience--a climactic moment of sorts--to occur toward the end of the trip; something that the entire trip is leading up towards. Something that makes the entire trip memorable. However, in my case, this climactic moment occurred the second week I was here. If what I'm alluding to is not obvious, I'm talking about my trip to Delhi/Agra which you can read about here.

 Since then, I have not been doing anything more exciting than shopping, going out to eat, and watching a lot of Bollywood movies. All of these experiences have been great and it's been a lot of fun trying new things, but at the end of the day, no smaller experience I have could possibly surpass seeing the Taj Mahal. Even so, there has been one thing I've really realized these past couple of weeks, and I imagine this is something that every international traveler realizes after awhile: you begin to see the new country in a lesser way than the country you came from. 

 Let me clarify, I do not mean to say that the United States is a better country than India. What I mean to say is after being here for so long, I have been thinking about all the things that I can easily do in the United States that are not possible to do here; the things that I take for granted back home. For example, I love going for long walks. It helps me clear my head. Unfortunately, I have not been able to go for any walks by myself here. Whereas in the United States I can go for a walk without having to be too observant of my surroundings, doing that here is nearly impossible due to the poor road conditions and dangerous traffic. Not too mention if someone tried talking to me here I would most likely not be able to communicate very well with them. 

 Perhaps this is a different experience for one who comes from India to the United States-- I cannot say for sure-- but based on my experience, there are quite a few things I haven't been able to do here. Some people might say that this feeling is homesickness, but I would disagree. I don't necessarily long to go back to the US; in fact, if anything this trip has ignited my desire to travel more especially to other Eastern countries like China and Nepal. I'm just not sure I would want to spend any longer than four to six weeks abroad.

 That being said, my experience in India has given me newfound respect for people who leave their home country permanently or even for a long period of time. Again, it probably is a completely different experience for someone immigrating to to United States than it would be if I were to immigrate here, but to leave what's familiar to you for something that's completely foreign--no pun intended-- is something worthy of admiration.

 One last thing that I have thought strange from this experience is how slow the passage of time has felt for me. I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I have been here for a long time, but realistically, I have only been here for a short amount of time, not even four weeks yet. However, to me, it feels like I have been here all summer. I really don't know why it has felt like this because typically the passage of time is supposed to feel quickened when you're having a good experience. Any speculations on why it has seemed particularly slow for me? Have you had a similar experience when traveling? What is your take on it?

 Anyway, I think this weekend I will be visiting a couple more temples and doing some more exploring. I will be posting my last traveler's log while in India Wednesday by 8pm, and I will post a concluding entry once I return to the United States. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, email us at levelupproficiency@gmail.com or send us a message on Facebook.

 -Ryan M. Shea, English Proficiency Specialist 

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