Namaste!!

Finally, a few minutes to sit down and write. It feels so good. So i am finally here and i love it. we are in he city of Meerut which is in the state Uttar Pradesh. So far we have been trained and sent out to our respective villages. This village is quite different than Dehli in that it has a lot more neighborhood areas. and they are beautiful. the place we are staying has monkeys that roam freely on the roof tops of houses. It is crazy but i love it. since i have been in Meerut we have traveled to 3 different villages surround Meerut. when i say traveled i don't mean just by bus. We have ridden rickshaws, bull carts (a cart that is usually used to carry large goods and crops that is literally pulled by a cow, buffalo or bull), tractors, buses, autos (basically a rickshaw that holds more people and is gas powered), the back of a truck with a canopy and wooden slats for sitting, and mostly by our own 2 feet! Our first day out exploring, we walked about 5 miles in over 100 degree weather. The next day was about the same. Today we were lucky and only walked about 2 or 3. Despite the hot weather and the dust, i love it. I have not had this feeling of joy and excitement since i was in Peru. I would not choose to be anywhere else this summer. The beach can not compare to the true beauty of India. The Indian people are so welcoming and loving. Every family that invited us in while we were traveling through the villages gave us a place to rest, gave us water and food, and allowed us to explore their lives. They let us tell them stories and were very receptive. I can not wait to travel more and tell more stories. It humbles me to see their faces light up when we tell them the stories and they understand and apply them to their own life. This summer i will be working with the same 2- 4 villages every week. The families are getting to know us on a personal level and we are getting to know them. My partners and I are getting along nicely and our supervisors are amazing. I am so thankful for them.

I hope that I can update my blog again soon. Here are some ways you can lift me and my teammates up:

Our health: each of us have been sick at least twice.
The people of India that we are meeting, specifically Pushpa, Beena, Meenir, Washu, and Kushi.


I love all of you and I miss you.