I’ve always been told India is a place that can’t be compared to any other, and in my three weeks here I have found that to be true. The vibrant colors, frequent festivals, cows and monkeys wandering the streets, endless offerings of chai, and lingering smell of incense combine to create an unfamiliar but intriguing atmosphere that is anything but ordinary.

I arrived in Delhi on the evening of August 15, India’s independence day. After a weekend of orientation with Cross Cultural Solutions, the organization facilitating my volunteer work, I took a domestic flight to Dharamsala, a city located in the Himalayas of northern Indian, where I will be staying through the end of November.

My study abroad experience differs from most in that I am not enrolled in a university in India. Instead, I am registered for a full load of courses at UTC: three independent studies courses that comply with the requirements of my major, and one 3-hour research credit toward my Departmental Honors Thesis. The flexibility offered by my Humanities: International Studies major allows me to construct a semester abroad in which I can fulfill personal travel goals while simultaneously making progress toward my degree.

India has always captured my imagination and interest in an academic setting, and I wanted to experience it outside the classroom as a temporary resident, living and working among the locals. Though at times my agenda will be that of a tourist, my primary goal for this trip is to become part of the community and learn how people in Dharamsala and its surrounding villages live on day-to-day basis. There are certainly challenges to this goal because blending in as a Westerner in a small Indian city is nearly impossible. On the other hand, after dispelling the initial awkwardness and creating a basis for trust, I have found that people are exceptionally hospitable.

My initial arrival in India was a bit of a whirlwind, even from the minute I left the airport and encountered the streets. No matter how much you are prepped for the foreign culture that is Indian driving, it has a way of taking you off guard. The horns are constant, but instead of honking impatiently at red lights and slow pedestrians, most drivers here seem to honk out of basic necessity. In the absence of lanes, the driver must honk to announce his presence on the road, thus warning neighboring vehicles and carving out a small chance of survival while maneuvering through the traffic.

Dharamsala’s traffic isn’t nearly as heavy, but the honking continues and the adventure intensifies along the steep, winding, and narrow roads. The scenery is beautiful, and the Himalayas provide a stunning backdrop. They never look the same twice because the fog and cloud cover conceal them at times and then suddenly reveal them at others. The air in Dharamsala is cool and refreshing, especially in comparison to Delhi.

My volunteer work is going well so far. The women are so friendly and willing to learn. Though I have only been working with them for a few weeks, they have welcomed me like family and eagerly invite me to participate in their lives. Aside from teaching them English, they have asked me to help them with a small business venture in which they hope to generate some income by selling their handiwork. I am excited about the possibilities, and I’m sure the project will be as much of a learning experience for me as it will be for them.

As for my Departmental Honors research, it is coming along slowly as I work to find my niche and develop a relationship with members of the Tibetan exile community. This is a very different style of research from anything I have attempted in the past, so making my initial contacts and establishing trust with members of the refugee settlement here is largely a trial-and-error process. I have conducted two formal interviews with Tibetan women so far and have spoken with numerous other women on an informal basis. I’m still in the brainstorming stages and am hoping to make some headway soon. I expect this to be one of the most difficult stages of my research this semester. Meeting people in a natural way that does not put them on guard or make them suspicious is difficult, but once I discover the best way to accomplish that, I think the pieces will begin to come together.

I’m certain this semester will be an ongoing exercise in stretching past the limits of my comfort, getting accustomed to being the odd one out, and bridging the gap between the culture I’m borrowing for a semester and the culture I’ve lived my entire life.