I sit here a month on from what was an indescribable experience, to say the least. Many people asked me the cliché question of “how was India?” The one word that popped to my mind every time was “crazy”. Probably because India actually is crazy, almost everything about it is crazy. From the pumping rickshaw rides in Jaipur to the enthusiastic waiter Sam from Blue Sky Cafe, all of it is crazy. Yet amidst all the chaotic traffic junctions, heavy pollution and gut wrenching poverty, I found happiness. This is a happiness that is completely different to that I’ve experienced in the past; not like winning a final of a rugby championship or getting an A in an exam. Instead it was a happiness that put me at peace with the world.
Coming back home to New Zealand has brought me mixed emotions. Initially it was easy getting back into life, and I swung back into things pretty quickly, but I was frequently feeling moments of frustration at the comparison of “problems” in a New Zealand life to the ones that are faced by so many people in India. Simple things, like someone complaining about how they want the new iPhone 5s but their parents won’t buy them one, just seemed so frustrating to me, when one month prior to departing to India I had been totally understanding of those people. I will never forget opening up my Facebook account for the first time in a month and scrolling down my news feed and being in awe over how I once was so attached to something so ridiculously pointless before I went away to India, yet suddenly the amount of likes on my profile picture seemed so irrelevant.
Many of my friends shared New Year’s stories with me soon after I arrived back. I was glad to hear that they had a good time but never for a second did I feel as if I had missed out on anything. This for me was the first time I realised how differently I was viewing the world around me. India has definitely made me shift my priorities dramatically; it made me realise how much more important family, close friends, school work and sport is over socialising during the weekend.
A moment in India that I will never forget was with the Future Hope kids in Kolkata. Spending time with them and being able to say that I contributed to probably one of the funniest parts of someone’s life there is definitely something I hold dear to me. I hope that whenever I’m feeling down or disappointed about something that I remember how happy we all were, and how happy all the kids were, when we were parading around the Maidan with the young kids on our shoulders. I hope I remember the sheer joy we were able to share with them.
India to me is like a dear friend who I was able to visit for a month at one point in my life. I can’t wait to visit my friend again later on in my life. India has now become a huge part of what I stand for and who I am, and I’m not afraid to admit it. My dear friend has taught me the real meaning of love and gratefulness, and what is really important in life.
I’m proud to say, that India, you are my friend.
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