Expectations

Coming to India I had no real expectations, so in a lot of ways I had no grounds for comparison for things that I saw. During this trip I’ve been trying to decide whether that was the best thing I could have done or whether I might have gotten more out of preparing in advance. There’s a lot to be said for having no expectations as an approach to life: you never end up disappointed for one. Without having expectations you don’t worry about making stimuli fit into your preconceived notions, you’re free to just accept things and see them as they are. Too often we see what we expect to see instead of what’s in front of us and in doing so we rob ourselves of the wealth of experiences available even in everyday life. One example I read about that drove that point home to me described a situation where one of the best violinists in the world spent the day playing in the subway to see how people reacted and most people barely noticed. I don’t want to be one of those people. I try to appreciate everything, especially the little things that most people miss. That being said, in a country as ancient as India where history is the foundation of everyday life part of me feels like I would be able to appreciate the forts and landmarks that we’ve visited more if I had a better understanding of the history and significance therein, sure I can appreciate the architecture and the beauty but I feel like I could gain a lot with a little more understanding. It’s a tough call. I don’t regret anything about how I prepared for this trip or how I approached everything while here, but part of me is curious as to how things could have been different. Something to keep in mind if I ever make it back to this side of the world.

“Get a Job”

India. For a country I never used to give much thought, it’s a place I owe a lot to. Even though it’s not over yet I can already tell that walking away from this I will find myself a different person than the one who left the states not so long ago. India has left me more motivated, refreshed, and with higher expectations from myself as well as those around me. Spending this much time with other students in such a supportive, engaging, and dyamic environment has challenged me to push myself academically as well as internally. I’m taking more risks, living more freely, and being more myself than I’ve been in a long time. A lot of what I’ve experienced here I’ve found enlightening, either because it’s something I agree with on a deep level like the way spirituality is something they do, not just something they talk about, or because it’s something I find I don’t agree with like students aspirations. Talking to other students from India I would always ask what they wanted to do after they finished their degree and to my surprise, and almost disgust, I always got the exact same answer: “get a job.” Even with further prying, I could never get more of an answer than “get a job.” I realized that I don’t want to just “get a job” when I finish school, I want to find something I’m passionate about, something that I can be proud of. Going home I plan on keeping these lessons I’m picking up, and taking time later to reflect on what else I’ve learned and find ways to implement it into my life back in the states. For now, I’m applying the lessons I’m learning about proper sleep and time management. More to come!

“Get a Job”

India. For a country I never used to give much thought, it’s a place I owe a lot to. Even though it’s not over yet I can already tell that walking away from this I will find myself a different person than the one who left the states not so long ago. India has left me more motivated, refreshed, and with higher expectations from myself as well as those around me. Spending this much time with other students in such a supportive, engaging, and dyamic environment has challenged me to push myself academically as well as internally. I’m taking more risks, living more freely, and being more myself than I’ve been in a long time. A lot of what I’ve experienced here I’ve found enlightening, either because it’s something I agree with on a deep level like the way spirituality is something they do, not just something they talk about, or because it’s something I find I don’t agree with like students aspirations. Talking to other students from India I would always ask what they wanted to do after they finished their degree and to my surprise, and almost disgust, I always got the exact same answer: “get a job.” Even with further prying, I could never get more of an answer than “get a job.” I realized that I don’t want to just “get a job” when I finish school, I want to find something I’m passionate about, something that I can be proud of. Going home I plan on keeping these lessons I’m picking up, and taking time later to reflect on what else I’ve learned and find ways to implement it into my life back in the states. For now, I’m applying the lessons I’m learning about proper sleep and time management. More to come!