So this is India...

This summer I committed myself to an adventure of a lifetime. Traveling to four countries, taking seven flights, and having one heck of a time. I have never been to this side of the world before, but have always been fascinated by it's people and culture. I have spent months planning this trip and making sure all the details were sorted out. It didn't really sink in with me that I was actually going to India until my parents hugged me when they dropped me off at the airport.

Many people have been asking me, "What is it like in India? Are you having a good time? Can you post more pictures? Is it really as hot as they say it is?" So I wanted to answer all these questions and share some stories about my time so far in India.

Our first stop in India was Delhi, which is the capitol. We took a very long (like very super long) fourteen hour flight from Chicago directly to Delhi. The moment we stepped out of the airport we were both greeted by open arms of family and a raining downpour. We stayed in an apartment flat in Delhi with a few family members. While in Delhi we took the Metro (a train) into another part of the city, walked around some markets in the community, bought fruit from street vendors and explore HUGE malls. We went to a few of the local markets and even stopped at a fruit stand on the side of the road. I tried a new fruit on the side of the road that day. It's called Lichi. It's hard to explain what it tastes like (trust me, it's amazing), but the closest thing I could associate it with would be grapes.

During our stay in Delhi we had the chance to take a day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The drive was about 3 and a half hours from Delhi, but it was completely worth it. You always hear about the Taj and how amazing it is. He built it for the love of his life. Now that's dedication and hard work right there. {{I'll post another blog post about my experience at the Taj Mahal. You will (eventually) be able to find it here}}

On our way back home we stopped at a really famous, historical and holy temple. I've had many chances to learn more about the Hindu religion and culture while I've been here in India. It is a beautiful way of life and does in fact share many similarities with Christianity. I am slowly learning about the traditions and stories found in this religion. They are fascinating and so interesting to learn about.

India is very similar to the States in many ways, but in so many other ways it is completely different. The hospitality that is given to guests here is so genuine and pure. I am very much a foreigner to the culture and way of life here, but I have felt nothing but kindness from my hosts and the other people that I have met.

Traffic here is quite literally insane. As you may or may not know, they drive on the other side of the road and the steering wheel is also on the opposite side. It's not the side of the road that they drive on that makes it crazy... Rather it's the way that traffic flows from street to street and the means of transportation that you find on that one road. On any given road you will likely find the following... Big and small cars. Busses. Scooters and motorcycles. Auto-rickshaws. Bikes. People walking. Cows wandering about. Street dogs just chillin'. So all of these people (and animals) use the same road to get from place to place. Here in the States I am used to having designated lanes that you stay in, unless you want to pass someone or change lanes. Here in India, it's not really like that. There are kind of lanes to stay in, but it's not always followed... Everyone kind of fluidly moves throughout. If you drive a smaller car or bike you can weave through traffic. If you drive a bigger car or are a bus, you just honk at people to get out of the way. Surprisingly everything just works. People get to their destinations safely and the controlled chaos continues on. Upon arriving to India I was very shocked (and a little scared) about how this traffic was, but now I am getting used to it. I am now mastering the art of crossing the street... But that is another story for another day... :)

So what is India like? Beautiful. Am I having fun here? YES! Is it really as hot as they say it is? Oh, definitely. Will I post more pictures? I'm working on that... Sometimes I'm having so much fun that I forget to actually stop and take pictures.... Eeek.