Week 4: Kind Souls, Kindred Spirits, and the Joys and Fears of Growing Older
"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."
Anne of Green Gables by **L.M. Montgomery
I have never in my entire life met a book character that I related to more than Anne. She embodied something that I forever hope to cherish; a sense of childlike wonder that will be instilled in me eternally.
I wonder what she would think of India. The longer I stay and work here, the more I realize how privileged I am to travel. I am so blessed to know a world outside of my own.
Now that the palaces and temples I once pictured in my imagination stand before me, I am faced with the difficult realization that I have finally grown up.
Since there isn’t much to do in the Midwest, and my days of travel didn’t occur until I was much older, I spent most of my childhood daydreaming about what the world outside of Iowa might look like.
Now that I am here, very, very far away from Iowa, I am happy to report to my younger self that no amount of daydreaming could paint such a picturesque, intricate, and detailed depiction of India. You simply have to see it for yourself.
However, I’m slightly afraid that as I see more of the world, my amazement will be diminished, and I will react similarly to seeing a cornfield.
Even so, that spark of amazement is reignited in me whenever I see it in someone younger. When I was teaching drum line at a rural high school in the middle of nowhere, it was my students who made me truly appreciate my experiences whenever I was giving them college advice.
I am blessed to know so many kindred spirits, and I am even more blessed to have met so many wonderful people here.
Funnily enough, Adalyn and I (my fellow Borlaug-Ruan International Intern) actually knew each other when we were kids! We both went to the same dance studio, and her grandma and mother were in charge of the costumes for The Nutcracker.
Over the past 4 weeks or so, we have become inseparable. In more ways than one, she is like a sister to me.
Me and Adalyn have been incredibly lucky to have so many other interns our age at the Foundation. These past 4 weeks have been full of adventures and side quests.
When I came to the realization that I would be turning 21 in the midst of my internship in India, I was a little disappointed knowing I couldn’t be with my grandmother and mother. I’d never been away from home for this long, and I was starting to miss family and friends.
Even though my family is so far away, I am incredibly lucky to have found new family here. The night of my birthday, we celebrated with chicken wings, kimpop, and red velvet cake. It was awesome.
I don’t know how anyone could be lonely in India. There are more kindred spirits here than I can count.
I was awfully afraid of turning 21. It truly felt like it would be the end of childhood forever. I used to wish that I could go back in time and scold my younger self for doing so much daydreaming and instead figure out what she is doing with her life, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Even though it took longer than expected to know who I am and what I want to be, I have had the privilege of knowing so many different versions of myself as I have aged. If I knew what I truly wanted when I was young, I would have little advice to give to other girls with big imaginations and too many ideas. I am grateful for the time I spent lost in books, wandering through prairies, and exploring my many interests as I figured everything out.
As for my research, I’m still waiting for my Week 6 blog to be approved. I am incredibly excited to write about my first field visit and the methodology I prepared, but I need to double-check that I’m not giving too much information away!
Something I did for myself as a little birthday treat as order an abysmal amount of snacks and try them all. I took a day off from adventuring on the weekend to relax, read, and taste test as many yummy snacks as I could.
My favorite way to get to know a new place is to try their snacks. I always learn about so many new foods and sweets while out and about in new places.
I was intrigued to learn that the seeds of the prickly water lily plant are in fact edible. It's called Makhana, and I found it interesting that a flower seed could also be a snack.
I was shocked to find so many healthy options for snacks as well. I felt quite full after snacking in comparison to how I feel after eating cheezits or pretzels in the states.
My collection of snacks came in very handy when I was recovering from food poisoning at the end of the week and could hardly eat a thing. I will greatly miss the healthy snack options here. Hopefully I can find some equivalents when I head back home, or I will have to resort to good old cheezits and trail mix.
photos from this week!
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