They are usually curious to learn about where I am from and why I chose to study abroad in India. Sometimes, they even ask for a picture with me!
Something else that has helped me adjust to the city is that I am on this program with other university students. Most of them are from the United States, and they are exploring India for the first time too. I have been to many different places in the city with my friends from the program, and this has helped me to adjust to living in a new country.
The professors for our classes have helped guide us to understand India. They have told us about new places to explore in and around the city, which we would not have found without their advice. This country is full of things that we have never heard of before, and our professors are always helping us to make sense of everything.
My program director has also been extremely helpful and supportive to all of us. My washing machine at the apartment where I am staying has broken twice in a row, and both times she has made sure that it got fixed! I do not know what I would do without people like her managing the program.
I am very grateful to have such an amazing community of people around me in India. I think it is important to remember that wherever you go in life, your community will always matter - even in a different country!
