Exactly three months ago at this time, I was frantically packing my bags at my mom’s house, getting ready for my flight to India the next morning. When I arrived in Dehradun, I spent my first weekend in my bedroom, too scared to explore my neighborhood with my terrible sense of direction. The only thing I did was finish my Reach the World application, and I’m so happy I did because sharing my trip with you guys has been one of my favorite parts of studying abroad. Every week I’ve looked forward to writing about my journey. The questions you asked have helped me further understand my community and have even encouraged me to talk to new people. I have lived here for over 90 days, and there is a lot I’m going to miss about Dehradun.
One of the most common questions I get asked is if I came here alone. My aunties and uncles (in India elders are generally called Aunty and Uncle) are always surprised that my parents are not with me, and they are even more surprised to hear that neither myself or my brother live with our parents. The family unit here is huge, and my friends refer to their cousins as their brothers and sisters. This is really different from my home culture, and I’m definitely going to miss being called Didi, which means big sister, by the younger cousins in the neighborhood.
