With ISP over I only have one more week in India. I am still not quite sure how I feel about this. I have moments of “I NEED to get out of here!” followed by moments of “Please don’t make me leave!” The first half of our last week was spent doing presentations. I was somewhat nervous about this but also excited because I had been working on the same topic for a month. I wanted to show what I had learned! Also, I got to wear my saree again so that makes everything better! It was also so much fun to see everyone in my program again. It was fun to exchange experiences because everyone did such different topics.
The last half of the week we were back in Delhi. One night we had a final banquet where some host families, our professor’s families, and some of our lecturers all came together to celebrate the end of the semester. It was fun to meet everyone’s families and of course eat!
In addition to the banquet, I spent time just wandering through Delhi. I reflected on how comfortable I had become here in such a short time. No longer did I feel the need to plan every detail of my trip before getting on the Metro. I knew the stops, what shops are where, how much to pay for rickshaws to get to the markets and what streets to walk when the market is close, and, most importantly, what time of day I am most likely to get a seat.
As a group we talked about adjusting back into the U.S and what we should expect. I also said my final goodbyes to my teachers and fellow students. It was so bizarre to go from only spending time with the same people to not seeing them again. Saying goodbye hit me a lot harder than I expected.
Leaving Delhi I had to wake up at 5 a catch a taxi. Luckily I was able to share a taxi with another student who had a flight at around the same time. While taking off in Delhi I had to turn my head so that the person next to me didn’t see my crying. This is not good-bye India. I will be back!