Reflections on Orientation

Before I came to orientation, the whole idea of this massive trip felt like an abstract mess of images in my head, pictures I had seen on National Geographic of vibrant colors and writhing throngs of people. And while I still sort of have that picture in my mind, this week has been really good for me in terms of waking me up to the fact that I have many preconceived ideas about India and the people that live there. Something Sarah Trumm said in one of our sessions which really stuck with me was: “let it come.” Instead of jumping to conclusions about who each person I meet will be or what the food will taste like, I’ll try to just accept what comes with a consciously open mind. I think the best thing about orientation has been getting to know the people who will be with me on the trip, and while I’m still nervous about some of the unforeseen challenges I’ll face in India, I know that I’ll have a good support network, which is one thing I didn’t realize would feel so comfortable by this early in the trip.