#nandri

After many hours of traveling (and a few delayed flights) I landed back in the states at 12:15am on July 4th! Yay America!

India is one of those experiences that you don't realize how it changes you until you're gone. There are some things that have taken a while to readjust to (like being able to open my mouth in the shower, or watching the sunset so late in the day) but there are also things that I know I will never readjust to.  Many of those things are hard to put into words and describe to you all.  I am already looking forward to returning to wonderful India. I suppose I will end this blog with how it all began...nandri. 

Nandri means "thank you" in Tamil.  Ironically, no one actually says "nandri" everyone just chooses to say "thank you" (even if they don't speak any other English). If you were wondering over the last 6 weeks why my blog is titled #nandri I will explain the hashtag now...

Since wikipedia has proved to be a trusty source in this blog...allow me to reference them a final time: "Hashtags are used informally to express context around a given message. i.e.: 'Just found out my mom is my health teacher. #awkward' "

Nandri (thank you) is the context I wanted this whole blog to be read in.  Thank you to everyone who made this incredible experience possible.  Thank you the Bishop Heber administrators, faculty and students.  Thank you to the Stephens- who showed me a beautiful side of medicine that is sometimes forgotten.  Thank you to the nurses and other physicians who made my time at JNH a fun one.  Thank you to everyone at App who sent me to India with endless support. Thank you the friends and family who faithfully read every post I wrote.  And, most importantly, thank you to my incredible parents. 

I have left India not only thankful for the incredible experience I had there but also for all of the experiences I've had in my life thus far and all of the experiences that await me in the future.  I have been afforded so many incredible opportunities in my 21 years and "thank you" will never be enough to express my gratitude. I've had so many people help pave my path and the road I am taking from here is far less bumpy because of it.

So thank you. Nandri.  For everything you all have done and will continue to do.  And, as always, thanks for reading.

Until the next adventure,
Allie

Aw man, now my pants are going to smell like wet camel!

Today was a perfect last day in India. After a long car ride we arrived in Jaipur, AKA The Pink City. I could detail all we did but that would take forever and pictures are just more fun to look at:

Indian Attempt at Westernizing breakfast for us
...and yes, this was an alternative blog title (Pan Cake. Baked Beans. Porridge.) 

Inside a tower at Amber Fort

Contemplating a bath

Just a light lunch to get me through the day!

While our guide took this picture of us,  some Indian tourists stopped and took our picture too....I'm pretty sure that will never stop being strange to me

This palace was built with three stories underwater

Jaipur City Palace

World's largest sundial 

A rainy camel ride

What happens when you try to take selfies while on a camel

This incredible place is our hotel for the night.  Its a heritage hotel-- the best way I can describe it is an Indian Bed and Breakfast.  They even let us see multiple rooms before we picked the one we wanted! 

We've been in India for 5 weeks and we still don't know how to lock the doors

And with that, my last day in India is done.  The true icing on the cake was washing my hair tonight with jasmine-scented shampoo. I am truly going to miss this wonderful country.

Our driver is picking us up at 3:30am to head back to Delhi in order to make it for my 12:30pm flight. I then fly for 9 hours to get to London, after a 3 hour layover it's another 6 hours from there to JFK.  I will post when I am safely back in America (I land at 11:00pm July 3- its like time travel!)

I love you all and can't wait to see you! 

What we've all been waiting for

The Taj Mahal! Ladies and gentleman, the reason people come to India:

The day was overcast (as you can see in my picture) but that didn't stop it from being an oppressive 100degrees. We arrived in Agra (the city that is the home of Taj Mahal) midday after a 5hour car ride from Delhi. There are three major historical sites in this city....and not a whole lot else. Today we saw the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.  As always, the pictures do not do it justice.  Both of these structures are so massive and so beautiful that its hard to even fully appreciate them in person.  I am only sorry you all could not be with me today to experience them! 

As any good Appalachian students would!

Agra Fort

Each day we arrive at a new location and meet our guide for the day.  Our guide drives around with us and explains everything we are seeing then hops out and walks us around all of the temples.  I can't imagine seeing all of this (in such short a time frame) and doing it any other way.  This company has been great!

I am having a blast and we are big fans of north Indian food (although we do miss the parrota) but I am starting to crave home (just a little).  I am missing the cool breeze of my mountains and the feeling of pavement under my running shoes. Also, India has a very different meaning of the word "hot" than I do...and I'm looking forward to a hot shower (American "hot" that is). Not to mention, I would kill for a good salad.  

Despite all of this, I am getting terribly sad that tomorrow is my last day in India.  We set off for Jaipur early in the morning and hope to cram in the whole city in a few short hours.

Until then,

al